A Happy Marriage
by RedAquilla
Summary: Ned and Ashara have lived happily in Winterfell with their children for fifteen years but now that King Robert is in need of a new Hand, they are dragged into the Game yet again...will they survive or die?
1. A Happy Marriage

**This is a new work of mine, I have been doing when I'm not writing my two other stories or some other nonsense I sometimes write. This is one is something I have been meaning to give a try ever since I began posting A Wolf That Met A Star. It begins when A Game Of Thrones does, but with Ned and Ashara married which I think will bring some interesting approaches to canon. It will start with a small divergence from canon and then it will be much different. There are OCs of course. This story will be updated sporadically when I have a chapter ready.**

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**Jon Stark I**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

They were arriving at Winterfell after applying the King's Justice to a deserter of the Night's Watch. The entire thing was a grim affair…taking the life of a man was never something that Jon liked to see, he was pretty happy with the pups they found in the snow and were now bringing home. Their mother had died fighting a stag and the little pups would surely die had Artie and him not found them.

His was an albino pup with thick and fluffy white fur and deep red eyes. Unlike his littermates, he made no sound at all which Jon found weird but endearing nevertheless. The little pup had already taken a fancy to him, just as Arties's and Bran's.

Inside the castle walls, his sisters were already waiting for them, just as his mother like they always did. All of them had mother's gentle and bright smile destined to them and Jon would be lying if didn't enjoy this welcoming.

"Boys." His mother began as they dismounted and gave the reins of the horses to Hodor and the other stable boys. "What am I seeing nuzzled in your clothes?"

"Father said we could keep them, mother." Artie quickly said, in hopes to free any charge from his shoulders.

"Did he now?" His mother looked towards his father with a frown and he simply looked away, ignoring her. "Wolves?"

"Direwolves." Bran corrected. "Six of them, one for each of us."

"Really?" Arya beamed at these words. "A direwolf pup for every one of us?"

"Yes." Jon nodded in affirmation.

"Can I see them?" Asked Elianna who was curious about the pups coming forward with Arya in hopes to see them better.

"Sure." Her twin said as he gave one to her hands. "This is a female and the gentlest of them all, like my dear sister."

"She is beautiful." Elianna proclaimed cooing the pup with love. "Thank you, Artie, and thank you to all as well, I'm in love with him already."

"Can I have mine too?" Arya demanded and pleaded at the same time, pulling Jon's surcoat. "Please?"

"Here you go sister," Jon said as he placed a female pup on her hands. "This one is a female and a troublemaker like you."

Arya lolled her tongue to him but quickly turned her attention to the pup in her hands. "I will call her Nymeria."

"That was predictable…" Artie murmured to Jon's ear, but his sister heard it all and so she lolled her tongue towards Artie as well.

"My Lady," Jory said as he brought forward another female pup, hesitantly of course. "This one is a female pup…for Lyra…I believe…"

"Even for Lyra?" His mother asked aghast as she once more turned to father. "Ned…"

"Mother we are all Starks, even Lyra," Jon said trying to help his father out of this, especially because it was them who forced him to accept the pups. "She deserves a pup too."

"Jon is right, mother." Artie joined in. "We will keep an eye on both if need be, you don't need to be worried."

"Gods…you all…" His mother sighed. "I should be a sterner mother…I'm a disgrace."

"You are not!" Arya quickly dismissed. "We love you the way you are. Not changing please"

"Arya is right for once," Elianna assured. "We love you so very much, right boys?"

"Is that even a question Elia?" Artie dismissed. "Of course we love her."

"Aye." They all replied without hesitation, his father was smiling with it all.

"Oh…I think I'm going to cry…" His mother proclaimed overjoyed certainly. "I have such wonderful children…"

"We have such wonderful children." His father corrected.

"And I have a wonderful husband too…"

"And I a wonderful wife."

"And I parents who are going too far now…." Arya plainly stated, and she got the support from most of the siblings.

Jon envied his parents…they had gotten such a wonderful marriage…he wished for one like that for himself…a marriage of love…with a beautiful and kind lady…to be just as lucky as father…

He then noticed his youngest sister Lyra slowly walking forward to meet Jory, she was wary of the pup, but curious nonetheless, she was the shiest of them all, even more than Jon and Bran but she was also the youngest…she was but three namesdays old still. She jumped back when the little pup tried to smell her but soon she got back to it, patting the soft fur of the pup.

"It won't bite you Lyra." Arya assured with a smile.

"I-I-know…" His youngest sister replied. "I just…"

"It's okay Lyra." Mother came forward picking the pup from Jory and placing it in Lyra's hands…Lyra who wasn't that tall struggled with holding the pup, the difference in heights wasn't so great… "Take your time love, the pup will not run away and neither should you."

"I-I will…" Lyra smiled, one of those smiles his father usually showed, while she patted the pup more, she seemed to be liking it and that was a good sigh.

His father had disappeared quickly, he was going to clean his mind as he always did when he took a man's life. Jon had not taken the life of any men yet but one day he would have to…when the duty of Lord Paramount of the North befell on him…or war…

His siblings went on to somewhere to choose their puppies' name but his mother interrupted him when he was to do the same. "I need a word with you, love."

"Of course mother." he quickly replied following her to a quiet place. "Is it because of the pups? They are still young and if they grow with us they could be like hounds."

"It's not because of that silly." His mother said while softly pinching his cheek. "It's something else."

"What?"

"The King rides to Winterfell."

"Really?" That surprised Jon…if the lessons he took with Maester Yolan meant anything the last King to visit the North was when Jaehaerys the First still lived. "Why now?"

"Good question." The question had earned him approval from his mother. "The truth is that your namesake Lord Jon Arryn died."

Jon knew how much his father loved the man…Lord Arryn had fostered Ned at the Eyrie and was like a second father to him. "Father will be…crushed…"

"He will…" Mother agreed with a sad expression. "But I will talk to him…I'm sure I can make him feel better."

"I'm sure you can…if the noises we hear at night are to be trusted." That earned a raised eyebrow from his mother.

"What are you speaking of young man?" she questioned.

"Mother…I meant no harm but Gods do you scream loud…when you…and father…make love…" Jon murmured embracing himself to receive a slap or anything but instead, his mother simply blushed red…

"I…"

"Please forget I said anything mother…" Jon begged.

"I'm speechless…" His mother confessed. "For how long has this been? How long have you been hearing us…"

"Ever since I can remember…" His mother's eyes bulged widely.

"Oh Gods…this wasn't supposed to be…"

"It's okay mother, we are all used to it," Jon assured. "Even Arya and soon Lyra too…"

"But it cannot be!" His mother countered. "I must give an example here! I'm a mess…"

"You have done so already, we all look towards you and father for examples," Jon said. "The screaming part is…not that important, in fact, it would seem wrong by now…if there was no screaming…"

"I'm so ashamed Jon." His mother confessed as she hid her red face in her hands.

His mother was tough woman, even the likes of Greatjon Umber and Maege Mormont thought so but sometimes she had these…expressions…

"Don't worry mother." Jon smiled as he patted his mother's back. "You should go tell father what happened with Lord Arryn and what is coming."

"I should…" His mother agreed. "Let me compose myself…" she inhaled some air and let it out, then she made some weird gestures with her arms and hands. "I'm ready."

"I will join my siblings at the kitchens to choose the pups' names," Jon explained. "Take as much time as you wish mother, we will be entertained for a while."

"Also I told you about the King's arrival because I'm counting on your help." His mother explained. "A King's visit is no small affair."

"Of course, mother, I will be ready to help when you ask me to."

"Good boy." His mother said. "Come here for a kiss, love." Jon couldn't resist those kisses…he didn't know why…but his mother's kisses were like a blessing from the Gods…all of the Stark children thought so…Arya and Elianna suggested she knew how to use magic but Bran quickly dismissed it, saying it was impossible, so everyone was determined to find the reason behind this somehow…what could cause that reaction on them…

His mother's kiss on the cheek left him with all the energy he needed for the rest of the day. _Mother's love is so powerful…and I have the best one._

**Ashara Dayne I**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

Ashara knew she would find her husband in the Godswood. Her Ned always went to the Godswood when he was conflicted with something or took a man's life. She learned that very fast.

House Dayne had followed the Old Gods thousands of years ago but they converted to the Faith during the Andal Invasion to avoid any more unnecessary bloodshed but nevertheless, they kept many of the Old Ways still, Guest Right was sacred for House Dayne for example.

Starfall had a beautiful Godswood where a few heart trees still thrived, some Daynes also prayed to the Old Gods on a variety of occasions, her late mother had thought her and Arthur on how to pray to them and frankly, it was much easier to pray to them to the Seven.

When she first came to Winterfell all those years ago, when Ned's father was still alive and his siblings were still together, she who had been indifferent to religion quickly felt a strong connection to the Old Gods there so when she took her sweet Ned for a husband she took his Gods too, just like the Daynes of old.

She couldn't deny the imposing sight that was Winterfell's Godswood…three acres of old forest untouched for thousands of years with the castle raising around it. Its trees were strong ones, mighty oaks and ironwoods, same as those at Starfall though here there was no animals, only silence, peace, quietness, calmness…and, of course, her favorite part…hot springs…

Ashara loved water, it was in her being. Her late mother and her brothers called her a mermaid for she had to take a swim every day, to feel her muscles stretch, the wetness around her body…and when she convinced her Sweet Quiet Wolf into joining her morning routine…it was just perfect…

Her love was beneath the Heart Tree as she expected him to, seated on a moss-covered stone. Ice, his beautiful and monstrous sword across his lap while he cleaned it with the help of the nearby waters that were as black as the night.

The humus of the floor swallowed the sound of her feet and so she tried a little play of her own…she got right next to him without him noticing… "Ned." she called softly prompting him to turn and place his lips right where she wished, hers, so she planted a big passionate kiss on the man she loved the most.

They stayed like that for a little while…their marriage was one of love, approved by everyone in his family and hers before everything when to chaos fifteen years ago, when Ned lost so many unjustly… "Ash," he said with a shy smile when they broke the kiss. "Where are the children?"

He would always ask her that, he loved their children so much just as she did. They were the product of their love and countless nights of pleasure too…pleasure that apparently was well known in the family…_I'm such a mess…_ "They are in the kitchen arguing about the names they should give the pups." she knelt and hugged her husband from behind, planting him many kisses in the cheeks. "They are all charmed by them, Lyra seemed a bit scared still, but she is only a girl of three."

"She must learn to face her fears, Ash," Ned said. "She will not be three forever and Winter is Coming."

"And Dawn Arises afterward, love." Ashara dismissed. "She is too young still, let her grow a few more years before she can embrace her fears properly."

"I suppose you are right." Ned smiled again. "And how is my Shining Star doing?"

She loved it when he called her that. "It depends…how is my Sweet Quiet Wolf doing?"

"The man died well, I will give him that." Her husband said as he ran a swatch of oiled leather up Ice, polishing the metal until it gleamed.

"This man was the fourth one this year right?" she asked worried, watching as he stroked the sword. Ashara knew how to use a dagger if need be, when she was younger she practiced some with swords but it was never her thing. She tried to yield Dawn once but it burned when she tried to swing it, she was not deemed worthy enough of such honor by the sword itself. Dawn allowed everyone to carry it but not everyone could yield it, now the sword remained in Starfall as her brother could no longer use it.

Dawn and Ice were so different as day and night. Dawn was pale as milkglass while Ice was dark, shaped in Old Valyria before the Doom took all Valyrians to the grave. Yet its name was older still, perhaps as old as Dawn. She didn't quite know though, Little Artie was trying to uncover clues on the old books of the library but he wasn't yet able to read Old Tongue…he had been bothering her and Ned to let him go to Skagos to learn it but they simply didn't want him too yet, the Skagosi were not too friendly with Starks so there was always danger and besides he was still young.

"Indeed..." Ned stated grimly. "He was half-mad…something had put a fear in him so deep that no words could reach him…" Her husband sighed next.

"And their numbers are dwindling by the month…like Ben says..." Ashara added. "Is it the wildlings?"

"Who else?" Ned lifted Ice and looked down at the cool steel of it. "And it will only grow worse," he warned. "The day may come when I will have no choice but to call the banners and ride north to deal with this King-Beyond-the-Wall for good and all."

"I fear for that day love." Ashara shuddered with the thought of it.

"Mance Rayder is nothing for us to fear, Ash." Ned assured with a smile.

"Beyond the Wall…" she murmured with the sheer notion of it…she had glimpsed it in the distance when she and Ned visited the Wall years ago but to actually step on it…it was an entirely different matter. "How mysterious it must be…"

"Is there something else you wish to talk about?" he inquired as he slid Ice back into its sheath.

_The news…_Ashara took her husband's hand. "A raven from King's Landing came, love," she explained. "Jon Arryn is dead…"

His beautiful eyes found hers and they got as dark as their older son's…it was taking and heavy toll on him already…Jon Arryn was like a second father to him and she still had very fond memories of the kind old man too, so she grieved his death as well.

"Jon…" he murmured. "Is it true? Please tell me it's not…"

"The letter had the King's seal…I saved it for you in case you wanted to read it yourself," she explained. "I did not wish to bother you while your conscience was still heavy…"

"You did well love." Ned smiled to her planting a kiss on her lips. "If it wasn't for you…I don't know where I would be by now…"

"I know..." she cooed while patting his cheek once more. "The letter did have some interesting information…I believe it was Robert himself who wrote it…he said Lord Arryn was taken quickly, Grand Maester Pycelle was helpless…so helpless that only milk of the poppy was advisable."

"A small mercy I suppose…" Ned muttered.

"Indeed…but…"

"But what Ashara?" Ned asked concerned.

"You know how Oberyn is a friend of mine…he knows how to use poisons and showed me some…" she explained. "Some poisons make death seem natural but…the signs are still there if one takes close attention…"

"You think Jon was poisoned?" Ned asked aghast.

"It's not hard to conceive, I mean he was the Hand of the King so…" she elaborated further. "You know how I have always said King's Landing is a nest of vipers? Well here is your proof."

"Gods…" Ned sighed. "He didn't deserve such dishonorable dead…he was a great man…"

"Great men are always targeted love, you ought to know by now."

"I guess so…" Ned sighed once more.

"The message explained that Lysa Arryn took his son back to the Eyrie." she continued. "And had other news too…"

"Better or worse?"

"It depends on what you consider better or worse," she said. "Robert is coming to Winterfell."

It took some time for Ned to comprehend her words, but when he did, she noticed his grey eyes getting brighter again. "Robert is coming here?" When she nodded, a smile broke across his face.

Ashara wished she could feel the same way as her Ned but…she could not. Her best friend and her children's deaths were left unanswered. She knew Ned had no part in it, she made him promise he would keep them alive but the Lannisters had taken them before he could even lift a finger…and Robert did nothing either…she tolerated the man for he was her husband's best friend and unfortunately for her, the King but she held no love for him anymore.

"I knew you would be happier…" she said. "Ben should know as well I believe?"

"Yes." Ned nodded. "I know you don't like Robert…"

"It is okay Ned…" she assured him, not wishing to sadden him further on such a joyful moment for him. "I know how to control my feelings and impulses."

"I know but…" After all these years she loved the way he cared for her…their love should be the envy of the entire realm, but none knew…none knew about how happy their life was at Winterfell…they sort of lived on their own little world away from the vipers and she loved it all.

"We shall send the swiftest bird to Castle Black so your brother can be present," Ashara explained. "And we shall prepare ourselves in the meantime."

Ned rose and pulled her to her feet making her giggle. "I don't wish to force you anything…"

"Ned…you can't refuse the King can you?" she dismissed as she kissed him. "I will be fine."

"How many years has it been?" Her husband asked. "And he gives us no more notice than this?"

"It seems so…your friend never struck me as a person who gives it much thought if the matter is not war."

"I…cannot deny that…" Ned smiled. "How many in his party, did the message say?"

"If I'm to use the measurements of Aerys' reign than we should be looking at three hundred people at the very least." she deduced. "Cersei Lannister and her children travel with him of course, just like almost every Lannister..."

Ned did not like Lannisters either, who would after witnessing such horrendous crimes? She couldn't even imagine the sight that Ned had to witness back then… "They are everywhere it seems…it does sound as if Robert is bringing half his court…"

"They say where the King goes, the realm follows." she japed.

"Well…I'm sure the children will like some playmates…" Ned smiled. "The youngest was still sucking at the Lannister's teat the last time I saw him, he should be five now?"

"Seven." Ashara corrected. "I believe his name is Tommen," she added. "I would tell you to mind your tongue, but I know how you act around people so it shouldn't be much a problem."

"I hope you don't end up in a verbal war with the Queen for some reason…I fail to know what would happen afterward…"

"With me arrested and dead for destroying her ego?" Ashara laughed quite loudly and bitterly. "Would you like that?"

"No…who would mock me then?"

"Well…I could come and haunt you from my grave…does it sound good to you?"

"Not really…" Ned laughed but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, perhaps because she spoke of graves and hauntings and deaths…It was ill done in her part... "I wonder how we will feed all these people…and in such short notice…Gods he never learns…"

_And he will want you to be his Hand, but I'm sure even you have deduced as much my Sweet Quiet Wolf…_

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**Some changes in the family trees:**

**Eddard Stark oo Ashara Dayne**  
**-Jon Stark, Born in 283 AC, 14 Years Old, Jon Snow from canon, the Heir to Winterfell and the North**

**-Arthur Stark, Born in 285 AC, 13 Years Old, Violet Eyes and Black Hair, twin to Elianna, named after Ser Arthur Dayne.**

**-Elianna Stark, Born in 285 AC, 13 Years Old, Violet Eyes and Black Hair, twin to Arthur, a copy of Ashara in looks, named after Elia Martell and Lyanna Stark because these were the most important women in both Ashara and Ned's lives respectively.**

**-Brandon Stark, Born in 287 AC, 10 Years Old, Dark Blue Eyes and Dark Brown Hair, named after Brandon, Ned's brother.**

**-Arya Stark, Born in 289 AC, 9 Years Old, like Arya in canon, Ned's choice of name, his grandmother was Arya Flint and he liked the name.**

**-Lyra Stark, Born in 295 AC, 3 Years Old, Grey Eyes and Black Hair, Ashara's choice of name because she liked the sound of it.**

**Their personalities will be shown throughout the story just as any other changes that are needed to understand the story.**

**Thank you for giving this story a chance and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	2. Should I Stay Or Should I Go

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**Eddard Stark I**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

Ned couldn't hide the surprise on how Robert looked was still ever-present…the King had gained at least eight stone in weight…A beard as coarse and black as iron wire covered his jaw to hide a newfound double chin and the sag of royal jowls, but nothing could hide his stomach or the dark circles under his eyes…a much different Robert than what he remembered…

"You need to come south," Robert told him. "You need a taste of summer before it flees. In Highgarden there are fields of golden roses that stretch away as far as the eyes can see. The fruits are so ripe they explode in your mouth, melons, peaches…"

"Robert I care not for those southron fancies." Ned cut in. "I have more than what I have ever dreamed here, I have a beautiful wife that loves me deeply and gave me six wonderful children, I have got people who love me just as I love them, I need nothing more but this and I was never meant to have any of it in the first place."

Robert broke into laughter…it echoed through the entirety of the crypts… "Ashara Dayne…I still can't believe you married such a beauty…I didn't believe it when I saw it at Harrenhal either but I'm glad you ended up with such a good marriage, my friend."

"Your Queen isn't a plain-looking woman by any chance." Ned retorted, Ashara was way more gorgeous even after six children but the Queen was definitely not bad.

"She is beautiful indeed…but she isn't Lyanna." Robert murmured bitterly. "She is but a Gods' damned viper. I can't stand her." Robert said, his face red from the effort he was making and perhaps anger as well…Ned felt some sort of pity for the woman…how would it be if it was Lyanna in her place?

"Your Grace," Ned said respectfully as he swept the lantern in a wide semicircle, changing the subject of the conversation. Between the pillars, the dead sat on their stone thrones against the walls, back against the sepulchers that contain their mortal remains. "They are down at the end."

Robert followed him wordlessly, shivering in the subterranean chill, their footsteps rang off the stones and echoed in the vault overhead as they walked among the dead of House Stark. Ned stopped at last and lifted the oil lantern. The crypt continued on into the darkness ahead of them. "Do you have one for you already?" Robert asked confused.

"Aye." Ned nodded. "It is a custom."

"A vile custom I must say." Robert said.

"Perhaps." Ned agreed to some extent, he didn't like to think of it much, he loved his life with Ashara so much that he hoped to die at age of hundred or later…with her of course. "Here we are."

Robert nodded silently, knelt and bowed his head in respect to the three tombs in front of him. There stood everyone Ned had lost in the Rebellion…father, Brandon, and Lyanna…

"She was more beautiful than that…" Robert murmured in a whisper. His eyes lingered on Lyanna's face, somehow hoping he could bring her back to life…Ned had many times tried to do the same, to all three of them but he always failed. "Ah, damn it, Ned, did you really need to bury her in a place like this? She deserved more than darkness…"

"She was a Stark of Winterfell," Ned dismissed. "This is her place."

"She should be on a hill somewhere, under a fruit tree with the sun and the clouds above her and the rain to wash her clean." Robert continued.

"I was with her when she died…" Ned reminded his friend. "She wanted to come home…to rest beside Brandon and Father." he could hear her still at times…_Promise me, Ned..._Ned could recall none of what happened…it took such a heavy toll on him…

"We bring her flowers when we can," he said. "Lyanna was…fond of flowers…"

The King touched her cheek, his fingers brushing across the rough stone as gently as if it was living flesh. "I vowed to kill Rhaegar Targaryen for what he did to her."

"And you did." Ned reminded him.

"Only once," Robert said bitterly. "In my dreams, I kill him every night," he admitted. "A thousand deaths will still be less than what he deserves."

There was nothing Ned could say to that… "We should return, Your Grace. Everyone should be waiting for us."

"Gods Ned I'm tired of hearing Your Grace coming from you," Robert muttered sourly, as he started back the way they had come, his footsteps falling heavily. "I'll have your head on a spike if I hear it once more. We are more to each other than that, we are friends, we are brothers."

"I have not forgotten," Ned replied quietly, thinking about Elia Martell and her children…dead…of Ashara crying and slapping him so many times before he could tell what really happened… "Tell me about Jon," he begged as he tried to change the subject once more, especially in his mind. "How did he die?"

Robert shook his head. "I have never seen a man sicken so quickly…We gave a tourney on my son's name day, if you had seen Jon then, you would have sworn he would live forever. A fortnight later he was dead…the sickness was like fire in his gut, it burned right through him." he paused beside a pillar, before the tomb of a long-dead Stark. "I loved that old man…"

Perhaps Ashara's theory was true…perhaps Jon had been poisoned… "We both did." Ned paused for a moment. But who did it? "How does his wife fare?"

Robert's mouth gave a bitter twist. "Not well in truth…" he admitted. "I think losing Jon has driven the woman mad, Ned, she has taken their son back to the Eyrie, against my wishes too. I had hoped to foster the boy with Tywin Lannister at Casterly Rock. Jon had no one ever since Elbert and Denys died…"

Ned would sooner entrust a child to a pit of vipers than to Tywin Lannister, Ashara would agree, but he said nothing. "The wife has lost the husband," Ned said carefully. "Perhaps the mother feared to lose the son as well."

"The boy is six and sickly and now Lord Paramount of the Vale." Robert further clarified. "Lord Tywin had never taken a ward before, Lysa ought to have been honored with it." Ned had to disagree with Robert there… "The Lannisters are a great and noble House and yet she refused to even hear of it and then she left in the dead of night without as much as a by-your-leave…Cersei was furious." Robert sighed deeply. "The boy is my namesake, did you know that?" Ned actually remembered a letter six years ago explaining just that. "Robert Arryn is his name…I am sworn to protect him and how can I do that if his mother steals him away?"

"Maybe if you tried to ward him somewhere else?" Ned suggested. "I could foster him here…"

"A generous offer, my friend," Robert admitted. "But it's too late now, Lord Tywin has already given his consent and fostering the boy elsewhere would be a grievous affront to him."

"I have more concern for Jon's son that I do for Lannister pride." Ned declared.

"You don't sleep with a Lannister in your bed." Robert laughed, the sound rattling among the tombs and bouncing from the vaulted ceiling. "Ah Ned…you are still too serious, how do you pleasure your Dornish wife?"

"I have my ways…" Ned replied.

Robert broke into laughter right as Ned finished this line and then he felt his friend's massive around his shoulders. "I take what I said back, maybe you are little looser…I must congratulate your wife for that." Robert looked at the floor for a bit before he resumed the conversation. "I had planned to wait a few days to speak to you but…I see there's no need for it…come walk with me."

They started back down between the pillars as the King kept his arm around Ned's shoulder. "You must be wondering why I finally came north, to Winterfell."

Ned has his suspicions but did not voice them. "For the joy of seeing the realm's most beautiful woman and her sour husband?"

Robert broke into laughter yet again. "I really need to congratulate that woman…"

"You need to see the Wall…to walk along its battlements and talk to those who man it." Ned changed the subject once more. "The Night's Watch is a shadow of what it once was, my brother says…"

"No doubt I will hear what your brother says soon enough." Robert cut in. "The Wall has stood for what, eight thousand years? It can stand for a few days more, I have more pressing concerns…" he added. "These are difficult times and…I need good men about me, men like Jon…he will not be easy to replace."

"His son…" Ned began.

"His son will succeed to the Eyrie and the Vale and with it, all its incomes," Robert said brusquely. "No more."

That took Ned by surprise and so he stopped, startled and turned to look at Robert, the words came unbidden. "The Arryns have always been Wardens of the East, the title goes with the domain."

"Perhaps when he comes of age, the honor can be restored to him," Robert said. "I have this year to think of, and the next. A six-year-old boy is no war leader, Ned."

"In times of peace, the title is only an honor." Ned dismissed. "Let the boy keep it, for his father's sake if not his own. Surely you owe Jon that much for his service."

Robert did not look pleased as he took his arm from around Ned's shoulders. "Jon's service was the duty he owed his King," he said. "I am not ungrateful Ned. You of all men ought to know that. But the son is not the father, a mere boy cannot defend the east." Then his tone softened. "Enough of this, there is a more important office to discuss." Robert grasped Ned by the elbow. "I have need of you Ned."

"I am yours to command, Your Grace." These were words he had to say and so he said them, apprehensive about what might come next.

Robert scarcely seemed to hear him. "I need you by my side again, Ned, I want you down in King's Landing, not up here at the end of the world where you are no damned use to anybody." Robert looked off into the darkness, for a moment as melancholic as a Stark. "I swear to you, sitting on the throne is a thousand times harder than winning one. Laws are a tedious business and counting coppers is worse. And the people…there is no end to them…I sit on that damnable iron chair and listen to them complain until my mind is numb."

"They all want something," Robert continued his rant. "Money or land or justice…and the lies they tell…the lords and ladies are no better, I am surrounded by flatterers and fools…it can drive a man to madness, Ned. Half of them don't dare tell me the truth and the other half can't find it. There are nights I wish we had lost at the Trident…ah, no, not truly but…you get my point don't you?"

"I do…" Ned said softly perfectly knowing what he was talking about for Ashara and Jon had warned him long ago.

Robert looked at him. "I think you do my friend." he smiled. "Lord Eddard Stark, I would name you the Hand of the King."

Ned dropped to one knee. The offer did not surprise him…for what other reason would Robert come so far from King's Landing? Being Hand of the King was the last thing Ned wanted…

"Your Grace…" Ned murmured. "I am not worthy of the honor."

Robert groaned with good-humored impatience. "If I wanted to honor you, I'd let you retire already. I am planning to make you run the realm and fight the wars while I eat and drink and wench myself into an early grave." he then slapped his gut and grinned. "You know the saying about the King and his Hand?"

Ned did know the saying. "What the King dreams, the Hand builds."

"I bedded a fishmaid once who told me the lowborn have a choicer way to put it…The King eats, they say and the Hand takes the shit." he threw back his head and roared his laughter, the echoes rang through the darkness and all around them, the dead seemed to watch with cold and disapproving eyes. Finally, the laughter dwindled and stopped, Ned was still on one knee, his eyes unpraised.

"You helped me win this damnable throne Ned so now help me hold it. We were meant to rule together…if Lyanna had lived, we should have been brothers, bound by blood as well as affection…Well…it's not too late, I have a son and you have a daughter. My Joffrey for your…Elianna…it shall join our houses, as Lyanna and I might once have done."

This offer surprised him… "Ashara needs to be consulted before anything can be decided."

Robert laughed yet again. "That woman has you in her pockets…the great and grim Eddard Stark controlled by a Dornishwoman nor less…fine tell her what you must, sleep on it too if it helps you." Robert reached down clasped Ned by the hand and pulled him roughly to his feet. "Just don't keep me waiting too long, I am not the most patient of men."

_This is my place Robert, the North is my home, not the south...This is where I belong to …with my family._

**Ashara Dayne II**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

The Great Hall of Winterfell was hazy with smoke and heavy with the smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread. Its grey stone walls were draped with banners, white, gold and crimson: the direwolf, the stag, and the lion. As in any feast, a singer was playing the high harp and reciting a ballad. Ashara remembered that Rhaegar always wanted to do the same in every feast he attended…_he was born in grief, sang about grief, brought grief and no doubt he died in grief._

It was no good to think of such dreadful things, especially when she was still shaken from having to be escorted by Robert to her seat…he had walked like a man half in his cups even before the feast began, it was disgusting as the sweat falling through his silks…was this what became of the mighty Robert Baratheon that killed Rhaegar? The man who fought so many battles during the Rebellion? He had been very handsome at Harrenhal and now he is but a mere shadow of his former self…

Her night got brighter when the children came. Jon came in grey wool trimmed with white, the Stark colors. Her oldest preferred black over grey and white but today was a special occasion so he would have to suck it in. He had Princess Mrycella on his arm, a little Cersei in everything, her hair was a cascade of golden curls under a jeweled net. Ashara smiled when the little Princess gave the looks to her son but she could see him tense, he didn't like too much attention from those who were not his family…_he is Ned in everything after all…_

Then came her oldest daughters escorting the Royal Princes, all dressed in light grey northern gowns. Arya paired with young Tommen whose hair was longer than hers…Elianna drew the Crown Prince, Joffrey Baratheon with grace, she also gave him the eyes for the Prince looked just as handsome as his uncle Ser Jaime but she noticed the pouty lips and the bored and disdainful way he looked at Winterfell's Great Hall, the same look his mother gave…_Prideful creatures these two…I will remember that. And so will Elianna…_

Arthur came with Lyra in his hand next right after, her youngest daughter was still afraid, even when her brother held her…she supposed it was a scary sight for a timid three years old…

Then came the other two Lannisters, Ser Jaime now called the Kingslayer dressed in crimson silk, the man who killed Aerys…While Ned thought of it as an atrocity, Ashara didn't think him as such a sinner, he did the right thing after all. Arthur wanted to have done the same, but it was Ser Jaime who stained his honor first.

Tyrion Lannister came waddling along half-hidden by his brother. He was ugly but blameless in Ashara's eyes, she pitied him but somehow she thought he wouldn't want pity…

The last of the high lords to enter were sweet Benjen and Theon. Benjen gave her a smile and she smiled back, her Ned gave him his shy smile too. Theon seemed a bit lost as always…she tried her best to be a mother like figure to him but somehow he always seemed tense around her…

After everyone was seated, toasts were made, thanks were given and returned, and then the feasting began. The cooks made their best today lest to leave the King unimpressed and disappointed so she enjoyed the meals quite a lot. She always did anyway.

She could see her sweet Quiet Wolf being conflicted with something for every time she tried to make him laugh he simply smiled weakly…a contrast to Robert's many bursts of laughter…something happen in the crypts and she would find out what…

Ashara enjoyed it all, the conversations with her children, her brother-in-law…to some extent Robert's japes…he was funny and she had to give him that. The Queen, however, seemed to love faking smiles for she was always doing them. She had to thank her though because the guests began retreating as soon as the Queen was excused.

Silently, Ashara ordered for all the female servants to call it a day, she did not wish to have one of them abed with the King and make a scandal in her home. This made the King look uncomfortable to the point he retired as well…_interesting…_the children left next and finally, it was her and Ned's turn.

_Time to know what happened…_She grabbed his hand when they left the Great Hall and made them increase their pace to their room. Once there, she opened the door and quickly closed it once they were inside. Now she was free to be Ashara Dayne Stark once more, she could take away her mask as Lady of the North and do as she pleased.

Ned was thrown by her to their bed while she unlaced her dressed as quickly as she could. Once naked, she jumped onto her husband and pressed her lips against his as she helped him undress in the meantime. Once done, she kissed all over his body until she mouthed his cock and gave him pleasure, Ned was simply in the Seven Heavens with the treatment he was receiving.

Once his shaft was hard, she pressed her cunt down on it and began riding him fiercely. She knew this was the position that he had the most difficulty holding himself in, but at that moment, she wanted to relieve the stress from both of them. Staying true to her fame she began moaning loudly with the pleasure their coupling was giving.

It took some five minutes before she felt his seed in her loins…maybe she could give little Lyra a sibling closer to her age next…maybe it could help her be a bit more extroverted.

Ashara climbed down from her panting husband, crossed the room, pulled back the heavy tapestries and opened the narrow windows one by one to let the night air into the chamber. _This was just round one…_

The wind swirled around her as she stood facing one of the windows, she liked to do this when she made love because Winterfell was so hot especially in summer. She also liked to contemplate the view it provided. Then she felt Ned's big and kind arms wrap her into a big hug and his rough lips patting her cheeks with many kisses.

"Feeling a little better, love?" she questioned, enjoying his holding.

"Much better already." Ned whispered in her ear.

"But not fully well…" she murmured and felt him sigh next to her ear. "What happened in the crypts?"

"Robert wants me to be his Hand," he explained and she had expected this… "I knew that it was the reason he came here for, but still…"

"And what do you want to do?" she inquired.

"I don't want to go…but he needs me…" Ned sighed once more… "I simply don't know what to do…"

"You know you will have to face the vipers if you accept, don't you?"

"I know…" he sighed.

She didn't like this one bit…Ned wanted to refuse but he was way too kind with his friend…_friendship is a powerful thing…especially when it involves a best friend…I have lost mine…but Ned lost his father, brother, sister, foster father…_ "Maybe we can achieve a compromise with him?" she suggested.

"What sort of compromise?" he asked curiously.

"You become Hand of the King for a year, see what troubles the realm, see what you can do to fix it, and find yourself a proper replacement in the meantime, a man of both your trust and Robert's, then when your term is done, you return home."

"It sounds simple but hard to implement…" Ned said. "Robert will not like it."

"If Robert doesn't like it, it's his problem, let him find someone else for the job," she said bitterly. "This is more than enough, in my opinion, he deserves nothing more if he refuses it. You don't wish to ride south anyway."

"I don't…" Ned admitted. "You know what happened when my father answered the King's summoning, he never returned."

"That is why I'm going to you," she said. "To make sure you don't die, my love. I know the capital, I lived three years there."

"There is different people now, a different King, a different Queen…"

"But the intrigue is always the same Ned." she dismissed. "The vipers are always there, their faces are different but it's the same."

"And Jon rules Winterfell in our absence?" he inquired.

"With Maester Yolan's help of course, maybe Artie and Theon will give him a hand too." she nodded. "He will rule Winterfell one day, might as well allow him to get some experience at it before the time comes. So he doesn't end like you did, lost."

"I would prefer for him to have your counsel but…I do believe I will need you too…" Ned murmured. "Also…Robert…wanted Elianna to be betrothed to his son."

"That is not going to happen!" she quickly hissed while turning around, her breasts were so close to his chest that her nipples touched it. "I hope you didn't accept it, Ned!"

"I told him I need a word with you first," he explained. "I didn't accept."

"That will do for now." she sighed in relief. "I want to know if the Crown Prince is proper material for our girl, somehow I doubt he is though."

"I doubt it either…" Ned admitted as he began eyeing her breasts. "He seems a Lannister through and through."

"That's what I fear love…I don't want our daughter with a Tywin Lannister."

"Nothing came from it and will come if we stop it." Ned assured her while kissing her.

"Lyra ought to come with us…she is too young still to be away from me or you…" Ashara said as she made way to bed. "Maybe the children can come for a while too, for them to get a proper glance of King's Landing, of how the world is outside these walls…"

"Are you sure?" Ned asked as he stood still by the window.

"They need to learn before it's too late," she admitted. "I told them the world is not a song but they are still naïve and it's better that they learn with some help rather than alone."

"It's true…it would only make them stronger…" Ned nodded in approval.

"If we fill threatened though, we evacuated them," she said. "I will not take any risks."

"Of course." Ned agreed. "Surely we can ask Lord Manderly to provide us with a ship for the duration of this if Robert accepts."

"I like that idea…a private ship…ready for us to use if need be…" Ashara nodded. "That makes me feel safer."

"We will see how it goes with Robert." Ned murmured. "I certainly do not look forward to it."

"Now love…" she purred from the bed, showing her naked body to him. "Forget Robert and join me for some playtime and…round two…the night is young still…"

"You are ruthless…" he murmured as he came by her side and kissed her on the lips.

"Didn't we know that already?" she said smirking. "Oh, my poor sweet Quiet Wolf…come here…I'm going to make you howl now…"

* * *

**So yes the first part of the chapter is still very close to canon, but I will try to make them more unique as it goes.**

**I said it in a comment and I will say here that I have no pairs for the Stark children, just some vague ideas. I don't wish to get too nitpicked with them this early.**

**Thank you for the reviews and for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	3. The Apprentice

++x++

**Ashara Dayne III**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

Ashara opened her eyes as soon as she began feeling the sunlight touch her sleeping face. She was tired…the Northerners always woke up very early and yesterday she went to sleep very late and she had plenty of sex with Ned to top it off…_the price she paid for hours of pleasure was fewer hours of sleep…_

She noticed her sweet Quiet Wolf already finishing getting dressed, as always…no matter what she did…Ned would wake before her… "You are not joining my morning bath love?" she asked.

Ned smiled a weak smile. "Water calms your spirit but not mine," he said. "I would much prefer to spend some time in the Godswood before we talk to Robert."

She made a puppy face to see if it would change his mind but…it seems it wouldn't happen… "Then I hope you calm yourself by the Heart Tree, I don't want you worried and stressed. Oh, and I hope you don't get late for breakfast."

"Don't worry, Robert was never a morning person, I'm sure I will have plenty of time, but I will make sure I'm there before the guests arrive." Her husband assured.

"I will be waiting patiently." she teased.

"I know you will." he smiled as he left the room to go to his favorite place in Winterfell. A little bit later came the person she was patiently waiting for.

"Milady." The person said as she entered the room, she had red hair and greyish-blue eyes, her name was Ros. "Is it the usual?"

"Indeed, you know that I can't start my days without a bath." Ashara said and the young woman smiled brightly. Ros was a peculiar finding that she happened to come across…

It happened last winter, more than a decade ago, when she went to inspect Wintertown, to see if the lack of provisions that happened during the first year of Robert's Rebellion would not happen again. At the town's brothel, she found a girl of seven working as a servant there, doing all sorts of chores except those expected in a brothel for she was too young. What surprised Ashara the most about the girl was the fact that she had learned to read, write and count by herself at such tender age.

She decided to ask some of the whores about the girl and so she learned her name, age and that her mother had been a whore who died giving birth to her, Eli was the whore's name a favorite of many customers. Impressed by the girl's wits and sympathy, Ashara decided to take her to Winterfell where she trained her to be a lady-in-waiting, a much better life than what a girl could expect in the brothel, especially after flowering…

The young pretty girl grew up to be a gorgeous and cunning woman, fiercely loyal to Ashara and a companion to both her and her daughters who loved her deeply and saw her as a big sister, especially Elianna. They always had fun talking to her.

"I will prepare it with all the haste possible." Ros proclaimed as she moved to fill the bathtub with water. "Lord Eddard was not inclined on joining you today Milady?"

"No…he is troubled I'm afraid." Ashara explained.

"Why so?"

"We ought to have some words with the King today…" Ashara began. "He offered Ned the position of Hand of the King but Ned, of course, doesn't wish to go."

"But the King is Lord Eddard's best friend so he does not wish to leave him alone like this." Ros finished.

"Precisely, so I tried to find a compromise with it, Ned will be Hand for a year, we will find a proper replacement and return to where we belong, here," Ashara explained. "He is nervous because he has to tell this to the King and Robert has a temper."

"Milady said we, so I must assume Milady is joining him?" Ros asked as she motioned Ashara that her bath was ready.

"We does mean you as well," Ashara said as she dived under the warm water for a while, then she emerged to catch her breath again, rinsing her face before looking back to the surprised Northerner. "I would appreciate a friend to talk to, I don't think I will have many friends in the capital."

Ros seemed happy with it, at least someone is. "Really? Milady wishes for me to go?"

"Yes Ros, I need someone else I can trust my children with, someone competent." Ashara smiled. "Could you be a dear and help me wash my hair?"

"Certainly Milady." Ros picked the Dornish and Lyseni fragrances and began to gently wash Ashara's hair. "Even with everything Milady told me about the capital, I'm must confess I'm rather excited to pay it a visit."

"The capital does have that effect on people." Ashara proclaimed. "I still remember the anticipation I had when I was traveling there…with Elia and my friends…" Thinking of her deceased friend quickly brought tears to Ashara's eyes…_she didn't deserve it…Elia was a wonderful person just as her children._

"Milady please don't cry…the Gods are just, they will bring justice for Princess Elia and her children, I'm sure of it." Ros proclaimed. "Please don't cry…"

"The Gods are not just Ros because if they were, Elia and her children would not be dead now." she dismissed. "We still something to pray to I'm afraid."

"I was just trying to cheer Milady up…" Ros said. "I hate to see Milady like this…"

"I know love." Ashara smiled as she patted the girl's arm. "I also wanted to ask you if any of the servants were molested during the feast yesterday."

"The King seemed…to have a huge appetite, he was watering over my breasts so many times when I served at the table…" Ros confessed. "And some other servants as well…"

Ros had a very graceful figure and ample breasts, it was no wonder Robert watered upon seeing them. "He always seemed to have big appetites…when I first met him he was trying his best to contain himself for Lyanna's sake but once she died…it seems he went downhill." Ashara said. "At Harrenhal he was very handsome but now…"

"He is huge and imposing still…I wish I could have seen him in his prime…The Demon of the Trident…"

"A shame really he got to this state…" Ashara admitted. "But honestly I still prefer my sweet Quiet Wolf. In my humble opinion, Ned is the most handsome man."

Ros smiled at that. "Lord Stark is handsome indeed. Jon is going by the same path as his father, the Princess was giving him the looks. To Arthur as well but he always knew he looks good."

Ashara laughed with it. "The girl's first crushes…She does seem like a nice girl at first glance, unlike her older brother and mother."

"The Prince didn't even try to hide his disdain." Ros elaborated. "The mother…is another story…her fake smile is trained, she can fool many with it."

"Not us I'm afraid." Ashara smirked.

"Not us indeed Milady." Ros laughed too.

"So…I know you and Theon were rather close yesterday…" Ashara began as she recalled seeing them both leave at the same time.

Ros looked towards her with a surprised look but then she smiled. "He is handsome, but I'm nothing more than a servant to him, yesterday with all the stress I accumulated, I was feeling quite in the mood so I did what I had to do."

"Have you taken Moon Tea?"

"I have Milady," Ros admitted as she helped Ashara out of the water. "Perhaps I shouldn't have done what I did yesterday, I'm so very tired now…"

"That makes the two of us." Ashara smiled while Ros dried her out. "Since you seem closer than I am with Theon, can you tell me why he seems so lost? I would ask Arthur but the boy is so oblivious to things…"

"For what I could gather, Theon seems conflicted about something…he gets angry when someone brings the Greyjoy Rebellion, unfortunately, I had the dreadful idea of bringing it once and he almost gave me a beating for it." Ros confessed.

"And why didn't you tell me this?" Ashara asked aghast. "I will not tolerate any of my children or wards doing such a thing."

"He didn't do it and frankly I was teasing him a bit too far," Ros admitted. "He is very prideful of his origins but seeks approval from Lord Stark…at least that is what I got from it." _Interesting…_

"Do you like him?" Ashara asked, going straight to the point that had been concerning her for a while.

"Not quite and even if I did, he wouldn't want me anyway," Ros said while drying Ashara's breasts. "I'm but a mere servant and he is still the heir to the great Balon Greyjoy as he puts it sometimes. I'm not the only servant he has sex with either." Ros smiled. "I have no wish to be a salt wife or anything of the sort, my loyalty is to you and House Stark alone, not House Greyjoy. I have everything I could ask for right now, I have no need for more."

"And your loyalty and friendship are much appreciated." Ashara assured. This woman was truly a find, it was hard to find a person content with her status, usually the people who ascended in life wanted more and more but not Ros, she just wished for food on her plate, clothes to dress with some decency and a place to sleep, the rest is just add on.

"I know so Milady." Ros placed the towels in their place and moved to Ashara's wardrobe, opening it to reveal the many gowns and other dresses of Ashara's possession. "What color would you like to wear today Milady?"

"Let's see…I wore grey yesterday…I'm feeling light blue today…what do you think?"

"Milady is the most gorgeous woman I ever laid my eyes on, anything goes well with you, I'm sure Lord Eddard will agree with me in this regard."

"He said so many times." Ashara laughed. "You are learning something with him too."

"I did learn quite a lot from your Lord husband Milady…" Ros declared while she helped Ashara dress the gown. "That you are able to scream oh so very loudly…"

Ashara tried to slap Ros' shoulder but the woman knew it was coming and so she evaded the hit, giggling in the process. "You naughty one!" Ashara barked. "I will have my revenge!"

"I'm sorry Milady…" she was laughing so much now. "I couldn't resist…"

"Meanie…"

"Anyway…" Ros walked slowly towards Ashara, a smirk was still on her face. "I believe…Milady is ready to go and shine." she said this as she made some minor adjustments on Ashara's gown.

"I'm sad…" she said but Ros giggled and kissed her cheek. "Now that's much better…I accept your apologies."

"Thank you, Milady."

"Time to face these guests." she proclaimed all energetic. "The Dawn Arises!"

**Eddard Stark II**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

As Ned had predicted, Robert took long before he arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast…he seemed angry and tired…_not good…_

Robert contrary to his usual self, remained quiet most of the time…he was pissed about something and half asleep still…perhaps someone woke him up? Or perhaps he was still recovering from his hangover…Ned remained quiet throughout the entire affair as well and finally, he felt Ashara's elbow touch his.

"You need to do it, love," she said. "I will be by your side, so you ought to not be afraid."

Ned nodded and tried to give her an assuring smile but he knew she saw through it…she knew how to read his eyes…Turning to Robert, Ned gulped and braced himself. "Robert, me and Ashara need a word in private with you if you will."

Robert looked at him weirdly but then smiled. "Sure my friend, let me just finish eating this buttered bread and we may go."

And with it done, Robert accompanied Ned and Ashara to the Lord's chamber. Inside there were two chairs in the Lord's side and two chairs on the guest's side. It used to be only one in the Lord's side up until Ned took charge of Winterfell but there were two for obvious reasons. Ned and Ashara took their respective seats while Robert took his.

_Remember what Ashara told you…_ "I'm inclined to accept being Hand of the King." Ned said. _Good news first, then the bad news._

Robert smiled at it. "I knew I could count on you, my friend…"

"However." Ned interrupted. "I will only be Hand for a year."

Robert's happy face quickly turned into a confused one. "What do you mean?"

"My place is here Robert, Starks don't do well in the south but I'm not going to leave you because we are like brothers. I shall go with Ashara and together we will look for a more competent man for the job, a man that will, of course, be of your trusting."

Ned could see Robert becoming redder with anger to the point he stood up slamming the desk. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WILL FIND A PROPER REPLACEMENT FOR THE JOB? THERE IS NO PROPER REPLACEMENT BUT YOU!"

"Your Grace, we understand your position but you ought to understand ours as well." Ashara intervened. "The North stays out of southern politics for a reason, even I, born and proudly raised in Dorne know so. House Stark needs to prepare for when winter comes."

"WE ARE AT SUMMER FOR FUCK SAKE!" Robert shouted angrily. "I WILL NOT HAVE THIS RIDICULOUS AFFRONT…"

"Then I'm afraid you ought to look for a different person for I will not go." Ned plainly stated, the words hurt him but this was the right thing to do, for his family.

Robert looked towards him with aghast eyes. "You will do this to me?"

"Robert, me and Ashara offered you a compromise that suits us all and it's worth taking and if you refuse to do so and shout at my wife, then I must decline it altogether." Ned insisted.

"You will make me nominate Tywin Lannister like Cersei has been pestering me about?" Robert tried to blackmail Ned. "Is that what you want?"

_It will not work with me, Robert..._ "If that is your choice, then let it be so."

"I COULD HAVE YOUR HEAD ON A SPIKE FOR THIS INSULT!" Robert shouted angrily.

"THEN DO IT AND PROVE YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN AERYS!" Ned shouted back, catching but Robert and Ashara by surprise. "BECOME WHAT YOU SWORE YOU WOULD NOT!" Robert was caught completely off guard with this, he wasn't expecting a shout from Ned and so he needed some time to compose himself and more, to see the grave words he was telling his best friend. "The offer is on the table Robert, take it or leave it but don't threaten me or my own in such a way again."

Robert simply hustled out of the room, angrily. Alone with Ashara, he finally let out a sigh of relief. "He will accept, once he calms down." Ashara whisper in his ear. "He needs you. Now calm down love." she cooed while planting many kisses on his cheek.

"I was afraid he would harm you…" Ned admitted as he kissed Ashara in the lips. "He doesn't look like my best friend anymore…"

"People change love…" Ashara said while patting his cheek. "When we are at King's Landing, we can't count on him. His help will be appreciated, but we cannot depend on him."

"Seems as much…" _What have you turned into Robert?_

**Cassana Baratheon I**

Dragonstone, Narrow Sea, Year 298 AC

The sword hit the shield of her opponent once and then twice and she was panting with the effort, they had been at it for more than minutes.

Her name was Cassana Baratheon the eldest daughter of Lord Stannis Baratheon and Lady Catelyn Tully, niece to King Robert Baratheon and Lord Renly Baratheon. She was as tall as she knew the Baratheons were, she inherited the bright blue eyes of her mother just as her ample buxom which frankly was starting to give her problems while fighting. From her father, she got her black hair and broad shoulders.

Cass as she was more often called, was said to be a beauty by many or simply Argella Durrandon reborn but more often than not, the bane of her mother's existence…Her mother wanted to make her a proper lady that would be the keeper of her husband's household but that was not Cass. Though she liked to wear dresses, dance, and sing, she loved to do things the boys did as well, she liked to fight, to ride, to hawk and hunt.

She was headstrong, proud, wild but cautious and smart at the same time. She had a soothing voice but when she was shouting at someone, her voice was loud and deafening.

Her opponent was one of the few friends she had, his name was Jaehon Velaryon, the son of the late and disinherited Jacaerys Velaryon who died with some protecting the late Queen Rhaella from the rest of the Dragonstone's revolted garrison when they decided they wanted to kill her and deliver her corpse to her uncle. The man killed a dozen men before they took his own life. Her father found Ser Jacaerys' brother Monford crying over the loss of his brother when he landed here, at Dragonstone. Queen Rhaella died but her children escaped to Essos.

In another life, Jaehon would have been the Lord of Driftmark but now he was almost a nobody if not for the fame he had gotten in some weird episode that happened in that island that made people call him the Sea Dragon.

Jaehon was supposed to be a Valyrian and yet besides the skin color, he looked nothing like one…his hair and eyes were brown, though sometimes the latter could appear indigo. He had always a distant look on his face and more often than not had an expressionless face, he was also very shy. He was taller than the average man but she was outgrowing him even if almost two years younger than him.

Cassana could yield a sword, a war hammer or a spear if need be, but somehow she never won against the Jaehon…they would simply spend a quarter of an hour sparring. He didn't like to fight and yet…and yet he seemed like he was holding back a lot when they fought…as if he was not even breaking a sweat even if it appeared he was giving his all at it.

She swung her sword once, twice and thrice with Jaehon blocking every single hit with his shield but she noted he did not swing his sword back at least not with the intensity she did.

Cass scoffed at it. She wanted to see him fight without holding back…she wanted to see why they called him the Sea Dragon and why the people of Driftmark despite loving him held some sort of fear towards him, a man without a thing to his name but a sword he never seemed to use because some conflict his father and grandfather had once.

Jaehon was in truth one of the few people Cass was kind of afraid of…she never saw him angry…he was both a good swordsman and an intelligent person and that was a deadly combination as her father once told her…she didn't know what to expect of him…well…she actually did, he wouldn't harm her nor any of her family, he was kind, just and honorable even if he refused to be knighted, he had all the qualities of a knight, another mystery she could not find the answer for.

"We should call it a day," he told her panting. "You have sewing to do."

"I can still keep going." she muttered. Cassana wanted to keep practicing, she didn't like sewing that much anyway.

"No doubt you can, but maybe you should try to spend some time with your family now that your father is here," Jaehon suggested. "It will be good for Shireen too."

Shireen…her sweet sister who had been cursed with greyscale a few years ago…Cass still remembered the many tears she and her mother dropped when the Maesters were trying their very best to save her sweet sister…she survived but the marks remained as a curse, a curse that made so many people disrespect her sister and she hated them all because of it. Jaehon was one of the few that saw behind the greyscale mark…Shireen loved him because he was kind to her and always played with her when she begged him too.

"Perhaps…" Cass admitted while stretched her arms. "Though I fail to know why my father came back so suddenly."

"Something ought to have happened in King's Landing I'm sure," Jaehon said in a serious tone. "Your father is not a man that has this type of behavior."

"Those are my thoughts but he simply does not tell me what is happening, nor to mother," she confessed worried, her father was not like this… "He always keeps it for himself…"

"Your lord father will open up sooner or later," Jaehon assured. "You just have to keep waiting, if it's a truly bad thing, then he will have no choice but to speak of it."

"Yes…" she agreed. If her father wasn't as stubborn as she was, perhaps she would not be feeling so worried about it. "Anyway…I'm going to see Shireen, do you want to come?"

"I will come later but do tell her we can play hide and seek when I come in."

"Okay…see you later." she nodded as she began walking back inside.

"See you later." he smiled a shy smile and she left.

Cass was approaching her sister's room when she began hearing her voice. Shireen was reading a story to Ser Davos…The man had been knighted by her father after he saved him and Storm's End' garrison from starvation during the Rebellion and Cassana liked the man as he was nice and kind to Shireen and that was a quality that made her like people. He was also illiterate so Shireen could practice her reading with him, feeling the man's head with stories of House Targaryen and be happy about it.

Her father seemed to think the man as a friend or at least a valuable counselor for the man was bluntly honest in a world of flatterers and liars. She smiled and decided to leave them there and go sew some fabrics, lest to make her mother more disappointed with her. She could be a lady and a warrior somehow, she knew she could, perhaps that was her destiny…prove the world it was possible.

* * *

**So here is a chapter that is not a copy of any in the books.**

**I hope people don't mind me bringing Ros from the show, I sort of liked her character and I wanted Ashara to have a pupil coming from the smallfolk so I thought she fitted in the position with just some adjustments to her back story. I think Martin wanted her to make a cameo at some point the books though I'm not sure if it will happen.**

**And also we finally we get to know what happened to Catelyn now. She and Stannis have two daughters:**  
**-Cassana Baratheon, Born in 284 AC, 13 Years Old, Black hair and blue eyes, heiress to Dragonstone**  
**-Shireen Baratheon, Born in 289 AC, 8 Years Old, Black hair and blue eyes, unfortunately suffering from the same as Shireen from canon.**

**MasterGX: Thank you for the review and don't worry because I intend to finish this story.**

**That's all, thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	4. A Mind Of A Princess

++x++

**Myrcella Baratheon I**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

Myrcella was pleasantly surprised with everything the North was providing her…It was all so different from the tales she heard about barbarians and cannibals that many people told her about, including her mother…the people were so nice and kind…their smiles looked different as well…there was also a sense of unity that you clearly were not able to see in the capital and this made her curious.

"If My Princess was to move the needle a little more to the left…there we go." The woman who spoke was called Ros and it was her who thought the girls at Winterfell how to sew and behave like ladies… "A stag from House Baratheon."

Mother would certainly have given it more thought to it had she knew that it was Ros, a baseborn woman who instructed the womanly arts to Stark girls but for Myrcella it mattered not, the woman was nice, kind and funny, unlike the many Septas who gave her the very same lessons at King's Landing.

"It's pretty," Myrcella admitted as she picked it up and gave it a proper glance…it was definitely her best piece…she had help but she made it herself. She smiled at the woman. "Thank you lady…what may I call you?" she asked confused, baseborn women held no titles but Ros was older than her so she definitely needed to threat some sort of respect…

"Ros is enough, My Princess." The older woman smiled. "It will make fewer problems for you and me this way."

"Thank you Ros." she thanked the red-haired woman.

"Your welcome, My Princess," Ros said as she looked towards Arya Stark, the middle Stark daughter who Myrcella saw as not the conventional lady type. "Arya…have you done your stitches?"

"I did…" The girl replied though she looked not so secure with her work…

"Let me see…" Ros demanded with an expressionless face and Arya got up from her seat and brought her stitches to the woman, failing to meet the older woman's eyes. "Ah Arya, I already showed how to do it properly…" Ros remarked disappointed with how the stitches looked.

"I hate embroidery!" Arya hissed towards the older woman. Myrcella never once heard a girl say such a thing so she was quite surprised. "I want to go practice sword fighting or ride!"

_A girl that fought with swords and rode horses?_ Myrcella didn't really like weapons but she would love to ride a horse…she liked horses. When younger she begged her mother for one but she refused and convinced her father to do the same.

Ros sighed as she glanced the stitches once more. "We will do it like this, you will try to fix these stitches as I taught you and we may go see the boys fight for a while."

"Why can't I practice with them?" Arya insisted.

"Your mother told you why Arya," Ros said in a louder tone. "I'm putting my neck on the line here so please be nice to me."

Arya looked towards the older woman with a disappointed look. "Fine…" she then returned to her seat and stood there for a while, trying her best to fix her stitches like she was told.

Myrcella picked some more sewing threads from the nearby basket and began to make another piece. Ros was watching her, making sure everything was going smoothly. The woman did a better job than the Septas. "What is it going to be now Princess? A lion?"

"Do you know how to do one Ros?" she asked curiously.

"Can't be so different from a wolf…let's see what we can do…"

"What are you talking about?" Arya asked suddenly and Myrcella couldn't but be startled by it, she looked towards the Stark girl wondering who she was talking to. She found out that Arya was speaking to her sister and friends. One of her sister's friends was giggling, the other was blushing and Elianna was smiling. "Tell me!" Arya insisted.

"We were talking about the Prince." Elianna confessed, her voice so melodic like Lady Stark's voice. The older Stark girl looked every bit like her beautiful mother.

"Joffrey likes your sister." The one called Jeyne whispered. _I don't think Joffrey likes anyone but himself though…_ "He told her she was very beautiful."

"He's going to marry her." The little one, Beth said all dreamily, hugging herself and Myrcella felt pity for the three of them…they did not know Joffrey as well as her. He was nothing but mean. "Then Elianna will be Queen of all the realm."

Elianna blushed a little bit. "Beth nothing is decided yet and my parents have not told me anything about any potential marriage, I don't wish to raise my hopes only for them to be crushed." Myrcella noticed a smile forming on Ros' lips then. "What do you think of the Prince, sister?" Elianna asked her sister with curiosity.

"Jon and Arthur say he looks like a girl." Arya plainly replied. "I think so too."

Elianna looked towards her younger sister aghast. "Arya, Princess Myrcella is here! Have some decency!"

"I'm only stating the truth." Arya insisted as if it was nothing. "Father told us we should tell the truth."

"And mother told us to omit it when we risk hurting people." Elianna countered. "You were there when she said this!"

"So you admit he looks like a girl," Arya said. "Because if you said the truth, you would hurt the Princess."

"No, I did not!" The older sister hissed. "You know what I mean Arya!"

"Girls," Ros called the sisters as she led Myrcella's hands in the stitches. "You ought to stop bickering, you are both shaming us in the presence of the Princess. And have decency in the way you speak of the Prince, Arya."

"Sorry…" Arya sighed defeated but then it looked like she got some idea as she glanced Myrcella and Ros stitching. "My Princess, what can you tell us of your brother? You know him better than us."

Elianna's glance befell on her as well, just as the other girls. "Yes, My Princess, can you tell us more about him?" The older Stark begged, curious about Joffrey.

She didn't quite know what to tell them though…there was not much about Joffrey that would make them marveled…he was not smart even if he thought he was…he could barely count to ten and he was twelve…and he was very cruel. "Joffrey is…Joffrey is…Joffrey is handsome…" she managed to squeal in a stutter.

Myrcella hoped it was enough to stop the questions…but they didn't seem too convinced with any of it, especially Arya…she also noticed Ros stopping her movements with the needle. "Girls, I think this is enough sewing for the day." Ros proclaimed as she got up from her seat and helped Myrcella do the same. "Let us go see the boys fight for a little bit."

"Yes!" Arya shouted happily. "Finally!"

"Oh, I wish to see the Prince fight." Elianna proclaimed and her two friends nodded in excitement. "Takes us there Ros, please." _They seemed to have forgotten about their question…Thanks to Ros._

"Calm down girls." Ros smiled at the impatient girls. "Go fetch your pups, and keep them controlled."

"We will." The Stark girls assured as they ran out of the room.

The walk to the courtyard wasn't long. Ros led them to some benches away from the fights but with a good sight to the courtyard. Myrcella petted Arya's puppy who seemed to take an interest in her somehow.

Down in the courtyard, her brother Tommen was fighting Brandon Stark amidst a loud crowd of men shouting, the loudest amongst them was the handsome Arthur Stark.

"They have been fighting for a while I'm sure," Arya stated while she cuddled her pup. "They are panting already."

"It seems so." Ros agreed. "A little more exhausting than needlework, right Arya?"

"Much more fun than needlework." Arya retorted and Ros laughed as she wrapped her arm around the Stark girl, bringing her closer.

"And you, My Princess? Are you bored or are you enjoying?" Ros asked. "Please do tell me your honest opinion, I'm tasked with keeping you entertained and not bored."

"It's quite alright." Myrcella dismissed. "I have seen jousts but not duels so I'm quite excited."

"Are jousts like my father says? A waste of time?" Arya inquired. "A stupid and dangerous game?"

"I can't say it so…" she confessed saddened. "I don't understand much of it other than the objective is to send the opponent to the floor…I don't find much amusement in it though, nor does my mother."

"Then I guess my father is right in his words." The Stark girl admitted. "A southron fancy."

Tommen fell to the floor, defeated by Brandon Stark, Myrcella sighed, her brother was not made to fight either…at least he gave it a try… "I could do just as well as Bran, he never defeated me." Arya hissed disappointed.

"Perhaps some other time Arya, you know what your mother told you, no boyish things while the King is here." Ros insisted.

"But it's not fair!"

"Life is not fair I'm afraid…" Myrcella found herself saying. "No matter how good we are or do, we will always be disappointed." she said this while remembering that her mother forgave Joffrey for everything he did, even killing poor and innocents animals while she and Tommen were simply forgotten unless they were not present somehow…

Myrcella was enjoying her time with Ros and the Northern girls more than with her mother and that saddened her of course.

"Indeed My Princess." Ros smiled a proud smile. "Life is nothing but unfair."

"This is a game for children, Ser Rodrik." she heard her brother say in a loud voice.

The Greyjoy boy and Arthur Stark broke into laughter. "And you are not a child?" Greyjoy asked amused.

"Jon and Arthur might be." Her brother said. "But I am the Crown Prince and I grow tired of swatting at Starks with a play sword.

"Are you afraid of getting a beating, My Prince?" Arthur Stark questioned smirking.

Joffrey glanced the handsome Stark. "Oh, terrified!" he said in sarcasm. "I don't fear Starks since you are all a bunch of weak children." Some Lannister men that her brother surrounded himself with began laughing and smirking. "I will prove you so with a steel sword."

Perhaps he thought he could kill one of the Starks…for some reason she found it absurd, Joffrey barely knew which part of the sword he should attack with…the Starks seemed to know what they were doing.

"If that is what you want, My Prince," Arthur said with a confident look. "Then who am I to disagree?"

"Arthur." Jon Stark stopped his brother from moving further by placing his hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head in a clear no.

"Live steel is too dangerous." The Master-at-Arms, Ser Rodrik proclaimed. "I will permit tourney swords with blunted edges if it pleases you."

Joffrey said nothing but Sandor Clegane came in front of the Prince. "This is your Prince, who are you to tell him he may not have an edge on his sword, Ser?"

"I'm the Master-at-Arms of Winterfell, Clegane, and you would do well not to forget it."

"Are you training women here?" Sandor inquired. Somehow she thought he wanted Joffrey to be beaten…there was no way Joffrey would defeat any Stark and Sandor knew it.

"I am training knights." Ser Rodrik plainly stated. "They will have steel when they are ready. When they are of age."

Sandor looked towards Arthur. "How old are you, boy?"

"Thirteen." Arthur replied.

"I killed a man at twelve," he said smirking and with pride. The thought alone made Myrcella shudder. "You can be sure it was not with a blunt sword."

"It's not me who is forbidding this fight, Ser." Arthur barked back. "I will gladly put the Prince to the dust…"

"Enough!" Ser Rodrik shouted. "You may fight with tourney blades but not live steel."

Joffrey shrugged. "Come and see me when you are older, Stark. If you are not too old already…" There was laughter from the Lannister men following and Arthur was cursing angrily, Jon Stark and the Greyjoy held him by the arms to stop him from doing something he could regret.

Her brother simply feigned a yawn and turned to Tommen. "Come Tommen, the hour of play is done. Leave the children to their frolics." The line brought more laughter from the Lannisters and more curses from Arthur who was proving to have a lot of strength with his arms. Even the Master-at-Arms seemed angry with all…well…now the girls know how Joffrey is…a small glance of it at least…

"He is a cunt!" Arya proclaimed bitterly.

"Arya! Watch your tongue!" Ros scolded. "Don't curse around other people, it's not proper."

"But he…"

"He is the Prince still. You don't want your father to have problems with the King do you?"

Arya scoffed and said nothing more while Elianna and her friends were surprised with it all…their vision of Joffrey being the ideal Prince just shattered all because Joffrey did not notice them there because if he did he would certainly not act that way.

"Jon, Theon want to have a go at it? While Arthur comes down a bit?" Ser Rodrik inquired the elder boys who went to their respective end of the courtyard. Arya forgot her anger for a while and began cheering from her brother and Myrcella was certainly curious as to see two handsome boys fight and better yet, without her brother there to spoil it all.

**Cersei Lannister I**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

Cersei and Jaime were both laying down in the improvised bed they made in the abandoned tower of Winterfell in which they had their coupling ever since they arrived at Winterfell. They were resting for the first round.

"Robert is angry with Stark." she said to her twin whilst looking at the old stoned ceiling.

"Is that so?" Jaime asked with a smirk but it seemed like a forced smirk... "It has been a while since they had an argument…what cause it this time?"

"Stark told Robert he would only be Hand for a year." she began explaining. Still surprised with the fact that the honorable Eddard Stark wanted to fill his now deceased foster father's shoes. "He apparently intended to find a better successor to Lord Arryn."

"Then it looks like Stark isn't as stupid as he seems." Jaime laughed, now a genuine laugh.

"I do not like it, Jaime," Cersei confessed, afraid with the prospect. "You should be the Hand, not Stark nor anyone else."

"Me?" he glanced her with a smirk. "It's not an honor I would want, there just too much work in it. Besides I was never worthy of ruling anything."

_Can't he see it? Can't he see what I see in that Stark is too righteous? Too honorable to be corrupted just as Jon Arryn. Can't he see that he is a threat to them?_ "Don't you see the danger that it could put us in?" she asked aghast. "Robert loves the man like a brother!"

"Robert can barely stomach his own brothers," Jaime said. "And this fight they had just proves that perhaps they don't understand each other that well."

"Robert has been more distant than normal, he is considering the counter offer that Stark did," she said. "Robert will accept the proposal, I know he will. He would have commanded us to leave otherwise. You know how he doesn't like to be denied and quits quickly."

"Nothing is decided yet…"

"Don't be a fool Jaime!" she hissed. "You know I'm right! Damn them both! I should have insisted that he named you, but I was so certain that Stark would refuse him!"

"The likelihood of me being nominated is as big as one of his whores. You should have whispered father's name and not mine." Jaime dismissed. "And you ought to count yourself fortunate, Cersei." he continued. "He could have named one of his brothers…What do you think of Stannis as Hand? Surely a wonderful sight for all the realm to see. Or perhaps Littlefinger…Give me honorable enemies rather than ambitious ones and I'll sleep more easily at night."

Jaime was right in it for as much as she hated it…Stannis as Hand of the King would be a nightmare just as anyone else really… "We will have to watch him carefully," she said. "I don't like the looks of it."

"I would sooner watch you." Jaime with that smile of his…

"Eddard Stark has never taken any interest in what happened south of the Neck in fifteen years." Cersei insisted. "I tell you that he means to move against us! Why else would he leave his seat of power?"

"A hundred reasons…" Jaime whispered in her ear. "Duty…honor…to write his name further in history…get away from his wife…actually…no…I doubt he wants that…perhaps he wants to see her in Dornish laces? Good old Eddard Stark wants to have the full experience of a Dornish wife…" Her foolish brother laughed quite loudly with this horrible jape of his.

_Speaking of Ashara Dayne Stark…_ "I bet it's that Dornish viper of a wife that is pulling the strings in the back…and now she is getting her hands on Robert through Stark." Cersei murmured, the clarity in everything made her question why she didn't see this sooner. The Dornishwoman had been in the capital three years…she knew how the game works and perhaps she wants more than that plain looking husband of hers…perhaps she wishes for more than a cold wasteland to rule…

"Ashara Dayne?" Jaime asked curiously. "I doubt it…her brother wasn't ambitious nor dishonorable…but you never know…"

"What else could make an honorable fool accept such offer?" she asked confused. "And she is setting her own terms, Jaime! She is making Robert think of it, a counteroffer she likely made!" The Dornishwoman was smart, she would give her that but Cersei was a lioness and much smarter. She wouldn't let some Dornish whore defeat her or no she wouldn't.

"I think you are overreacting Cersei," Jaime said as he rubbed his cock on her skin. "Not everyone is a schemer like you…"

"I know what I'm talking about!" she hissed bitterly. "I know she moving against me, just as I know Lysa Arryn is doing the same!"

"You fret too much, Cersei." Jaime as always dismissed. "Lysa Arryn is nothing but a frightened cow and Ashara Stark is no threat to us."

"That frightened cow shared Jon Arryn's bed!" Cersei hissed.

"If she knew anything, she would have gone to Robert before she fled," Jaime said. "Robert is the only man that can go against you in such a way."

"When Robert had made that weakling son of hers to be fostered at Casterly Rock with father?" she asked. "I think not, she knew her son would be nothing but a hostage. She may grow bolder now that they are both safe at the Eyrie."

"Mothers…" Jaime sighed. "I think birthing does something to your minds…and you ought to be all mad." And with that, he laughed once more. Thankfully no one visited the old tower so the risk was none. "Let them both grow as bold as they wish, they have no proof of anything."

"And do you think Robert will require proof?" Cersei asked. "I tell you, he loves me not."

"And I wonder whose fault is that sweet sister?" he asked as in a jape and she slapped him.

"You are as blind and stupid as Robert!" she hissed.

"If you mean that I see the same thing, then yes," Jaime admitted. "I see a man who would sooner die than betray his King even with multiple quarrels."

"I don't deny that Stark is loyal to Robert that is obvious," she said. "But what happens when Robert dies and Joff takes the throne? The sooner it happens, the safer we will all be," she explained. "Robert grows restless every day and having Stark beside him will only make him worse and don't tell me Robert will not accept the offer because he will." Stark the brother of that stupid bitch Lyanna who torments my life even when dead. "I wonder long before he puts me aside for some new Lyanna?"

Jaime sighed, clearly bored with it all. "You should think less about the future and more about the pleasures at hand." And with that, he began rubbing her clit, making her moan. "Forget them all and focus on us only. We are the only ones that matter."

She wanted to say no but…she couldn't really dismiss her other half…and he was kissing her so wildly so she embraced it all. There would be time to take care of the Stark fool and his Dornish whore.

**Eddard Stark III**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

"So you are telling us that Joffrey was mocking Arthur, Jon and Ser Rodrik?" Ashara asked just to be sure after hearing of Ros' report. "That little weasel…"

"I also found it weird when Arya asked the Princess Myrcella, which by the way is a wonderful thing, about the Prince. She hesitated for way too long and ended up saying he was just handsome before returning to silence and glancing the girls hoping they would ask for more." Ros elaborated.

"I fail to notice the problem with it," Ned said to both women who looked at him with confused eyes as if he was a fool. He simply didn't understand what problem was there in a girl of eight just saying her brother was handsome. "What problem is there with what the Princess said?"

"Ned, you simply don't just say your brother is handsome without giving him more qualities such as kind, smart or funny," Ashara explained. "Something is not right with the Prince, the looks of disdain, the mocking, and his sister merely saying he is handsome just make me uncomfortable."

"I share the same opinion, Milord." Ros came in her tutor's defense. "The boy just gives me a feeling of foreboding…I simply don't like his presence…I feel like I need to be as far away from him as I can."

"Feminine intuition is powerful Ned." Ashara insisted. "We know what we are speaking of, we can feel it."

"I can't simply tell Robert that the betrothal cannot happen because of female intuition," Ned said. "Not after we made that counteroffer. We need something concrete."

"I guess we need to continue watching then." Ros sighed, for some reason, she reminded him of someone…but he just didn't know who…it was someone close but he did not know who and thought had been messing with his head for more than a decade.

"Indeed…" Ashara sighed as well. "You said the Princess was a wonderful thing?"

"I did, she is sweet, kind and oh so very smart…"

They were startled by a knock on the door. They exchanged looks between each other before Ashara glanced Ros and leaned her head towards the door so that the younger woman would open it. Ros, of course, did as she was told.

More startled they became when they found out it was Robert who knocked. "Your Grace." Ros bowed before Robert still shaken by the surprise.

"I need a word with you and your wife, Ned." Robert proclaimed, his expression somber.

"Ros, could you be a dear and check on the girls, please?" Ashara begged with her kind smile. "See if they are not making a mess somewhere…"

"Of course Milady." Ros nodded. "With your permission Your Grace."

"Go on." And so Ros did, she gave them the privacy they needed. Robert in the meantime moved towards the chair he had occupied the last time he was in Ned's desk and took a seat in it. "I…I gave it some thought…on the offer you made…"

"And?" Ned questioned, curious with what would be Robert's answer.

"I accept it."_ Ashara was right…she always is…I fear she might be correct about the boy too…_ "Perhaps I can make you change your opinion later on…make you Hand for a while longer…" he said with a weak smile. "But I accept it nonetheless."

"I do wish to come back to Winterfell after my term is done, Robert." Ned dismissed. "I can only be melted by my wife, not by the south itself."

With that Robert's spirit warmed up and he broke into laughter, that booming laugh that made everyone laugh as well. "Gods…I must congratulate you Lady Ashara, you made Ned more than a statue, you actually made him a funny man."

Ashara smiled a genuine smile for once with Robert. "Your Grace honors me, but he was like this before we met so I didn't really do anything."

"He was but you made him looser…a good thing really," Robert added. "I'm sorry for my tantrum the other day Ned…it was ill done by my part. You too, My Lady, my apologies."

"We all get angry sometimes Your Grace." Ashara began "A lot of injustices are committed to us and to those we hold dear but with ought to remain calm." Ashara always had a sharp tongue…even when she was trying to comfort someone… "Everything will work out in the end."

"Indeed…" Robert seemed like he noticed what Ashara really meant with her words but did not reply to them. "I wanted to leave in at most a week's time, is there an inconvenience to you?"

Ned glanced Ashara to see what she would say. "There is none My King." she smiled. "We will be ready when you are."

"Good." Robert smiled a weak smile as he got up. "I will do my best to enjoy Winterfell while I can, see you at dinner." he then left the room and Ned was left alone with Ashara.

"You were right," Ned said while glancing his wife. "He did accept it…"

"I know love." she grinned. "You ought to know by now that this woman has a pinkie finger that tells her things…"

"You could go easier on him though…"

"Not until Elia and her children's murders are not properly answered," she stated. "Justice will one day come, I'm sure but until then, Robert gets no love from me."

He knew better than to contradict her especially regarding Elia and the children. He too wanted them to be avenged. "Now we will have to go to King's Landing…" Ned sighed.

"Don't worry love…I will be your beautiful guide there…" she said while she began pecking him with kisses. "Perhaps we can make a run for it to Chataya's…rent a room…make the people of King's Landing afraid that a Dothraki horde came to their shores…"

"My Shining Star became a Khaleesi somehow?" Ned questioned amused as she sat on top of him.

"Yes…" she giggled. "A Dothraki screamer leading a Dothraki horde!"

"I'm sure the rooms we will be provided have a large enough bed…"

"Oh come on Ned! Don't spoil things, love!" she chided. "I know how to make things more interesting in the capital…I will be able to show you some things you never dreamt of…"

"Well…I guess I have no choice but let you guide me then…" Ned said as their lips met. "I will follow my Shining Star."

"You will not regret it…" she purred as they joined their lips. "You will have the time of your life."

* * *

**Thank you all for the reviews, I appreciate them all.**

**Now two guests asked if Jon could end up with Yggrite or Val, he can, they are two possibilities though I wanted Val with someone else...**

**I decided to show a little bit of Joffrey to the Stark girls through Myrcella and Joffrey himself. Ashara and Ros have him marked**.

**Also what I give with one hand, I must take with the other, no one will find about the twincest at Winterfell no one will fall from the tower, this should prove rather interesting...**

**Thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	5. Questions And No Answers

++x++

**Jon Stark II**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

"And remember to check the granary storages, love." His mother insisted. "We cannot face winter without them full."

"Don't worry mother," he assured with a shy smile. "Arthur and I will keep them full and under constant surveillance."

His mother looked at him with a proud look. "I know love…it's just the mother in me telling me I need to annoy my son with motherly things..."

"You do love to tease me…" Jon murmured.

"Oh you have no idea, sweetling." she smiled a bright smile. "I love teasing you and your father so much…You simply have no idea…" And with that, she pinched his cheek with a devilish smile. "Now give a big hug to mama."

He promptly did as he was told, he hugged his mother. Jon would surely miss her, his father and his siblings but this was his big chance to prove what he was capable to do. "Be careful in the capital mother."

"I will, Jon," she assured. "I will protect our pack down at the capital. Everything will be fine, I can assure you." he hoped she was right…if half the things she told him were true…then he feared for them but he knew his mother was tough just like the rest of his family. "Wolves are predators, not the prey, we hunt together, we are strong together."

"Father always said, when the snow falls and the white wind blows…"

"The lone wolf dies but the pack survives." His mother completed laughing. "I love that one," she said while eyeing him so more. "You are so similar to your father…I knew it from the day I first saw you, the day you came from my womb to the world…Everyone told me so too and when your father held you in his arms after returning from the war that took so much from him…he cried while doing so…tears of joy…it was one of the best moments of my life."

"You said so many times mother…" Jon smiled, finding the thought of his father crying even if tears of joy a foreign thing.

"I like to make my point clear love…" she said. "So I know people understood what I said." Then her face got soberer. "Now some tips…keep an eye out for the Boltons…they aren't stupid to the point of attacking us but I don't trust in them…especially if the rumors about that bastard of Lord Bolton killing his trueborn son are true."

The Boltons were ancient rivals of House Stark, their family feud went on into immemorial times. Some said they still practiced forbidden customs such as flaying people or the first night right…Jon never liked them and neither does any Stark for the matter and the feeling his reciprocated…

"I will keep them in mind," he assured. "And in Arthur and Theon as well…"

"The Wolf Blood is still without control in your brother…Ros told me what happened with the Crown Prince…" His mother admitted with a sigh. "He has to keep in line or he might end like his uncle Brandon did."

Neither father nor mother talked much about uncle Brandon and aunt Lyanna…From uncle Brandon, Jon knew he rode hard to the capital where he demanded justice for his sister who had been abducted by Rhaegar Targaryen and in the process, due to a bad choice of words, he was arrested and later died choking as he attempted to save grandfather Rickard from burning once he came to the capital as well…

"Arthur is still young, mother. He will learn with time mother." Jon said.

"Keep him close, hear his counsel when he gives it and reprimand him when he gets too wild or disinterested." His mother said. "Also…there is another matter we ought to begin discussing soon…"

"What is it?"

"Your marriage." The words of his mother hit him hard in the gut…It wasn't as if he didn't wish to marry because he did…but he wanted a woman like his mother so he could have a marriage like his parents', a happy one.

"Marriage?" he asked just to be sure.

"Indeed…" she said. "You are close to your fifteenth namesday and you are the heir to the North…your father and I have been brooding for years that you should marry when you are sixteen…but we don't want you to marry by force because it would be hypocritical in our part since me and your father married for that very same reason. That is why we are so concerned with the King's proposal of marrying his son with Elianna."

"I don't like Joffrey Baratheon mother." Jon confessed.

"Neither do I or Ros and your father seems to be slowly sharing the same opinion." His mother said. "But anyway…we were thinking on organizing a big harvest feast this next year be it summer or autumn…invite some young ladies…perhaps you will be able to find one good one amongst them…"

That would be difficult…all of them saw the heir to Winterfell in him, not Jon Stark the person…they all wanted him because it was convenient for their families to get closer to Winterfell…but if his father found a woman like mother, and in a feast, then perhaps, if he was so much like his father…perhaps he would find one too…

"Maybe you are right…"

"But that is something for us to worry when the New Year comes and we are back at Winterfell." His mother said while pinching his cheek. "Now I shall not hold you for longer. Go and say goodbye to your siblings, and give a…certain sword to someone…"

"How did…" he was going to ask the question anyone would but his mother simply moved her pinkie finger while grinning... "I don't know why I even asked…"

"Go on love." she encouraged as she pushed him around. "I'm sure she will love it. I have to finish packing things and still have a conversation with your brother Arthur."

Jon left his mother's private chambers which she did not use for anything but extra storage for her things and walked to the armory. There he picked his package and he waited a while for Arthur to arrive.

His brother showed up panting, he had run there. "Sorry…I took so long…brother." Arthur murmured as he regained his breath. "Mother kept insisting about me behaving well and all…"

"She wanted to emphasize her point." Jon said.

"Well…she said that very same thing to me…are you perhaps…turning into mother?" Arthur broke into laughter and Jon soon followed.

"I may become a father in a nearby future but a mother…that is unlikely…" Jon commented as he tried to regain his composure. "We have something to do brother."

"Indeed brother." His brother nodded. "Let us go to our dear sister."

The courtyard was blatant, the servants were packing the many chests with his family's belongings in the many wagons. Father was coordinating everything together with Ser Rodrik, Elianna was enjoying a conversation with Jeyne Poole and a saddened Beth Cassel who was not allowed to go. Next to them slept Star, Elianna's gentle pup. Lyra was happily playing with hers which she called Blacky. Jon had called his Ghost for he made no sound and was white as a ghost, while Arthur's was called Breeze.

Brandon came next with his pup Rune and huge ironwood chest likely filled with books more than clothes. And finally came Arya with an ironwood chest of her own and Nymeria strolling next to her. His middle sister looked displeased…

"Arya!" Arthur called and their sister's attention turned to them, Jon motioned her to come to them and she did so.

"Yes?" she questioned confused.

"What did you do now?" Jon asked, slightly amused.

Arya made a grim face. "Ros told me I had to pack everything properly folded and not messy…"

"Ros was right little sister." Arthur agreed with the older woman who was talking to their mother as the two of them walked to the wheelhouse that would transport them and the girls. Even Arya…

"Arthur…you hardly fold your clothes at all so you can't give her a lecture." Jon said.

Arya lolled her tongue out to their brother with the opportunity Jon provided her with. "They are all going to get messed up anyway. Why should I bother with it?"

"Because it's better than way," Jon explained. "But Arthur and I didn't come here to talk about folded clothes Arya."

"We came here to give you a little present of goodbye," Arthur added with his smirk. "For our favorite troublemaker."

"A present?" she said beaming.

Jon pulled the package out while Arthur untied the rags wrapped around the present picking it up and lifting it to the sky where it shone bright with the light.

"A sword…" she remarked in a surprised whisper.

The scabbard was soft grey leather, supple as sin. Jon drew out the blade slowly, so she could see the deep blue sheen of the steel. "This is no toy." he warned her.

"Be careful not to cut yourself in it, sister," Arthur added. "The edges are very sharp."

"It's such a skinny blade." she remarked while she glanced the blade from up and down.

"So are you, little troublemaker," Jon said amused. "We had Mikken make it like the swords of the Free Cities."

"These are not made to cut heads off but to pierce holes in the opponent," Arthur said as he placed it in Arya's hands. "Perfect for someone as skinny as you."

"But you will have to work at it every day." Arya was already waving it to test it. She had some practice with swords but did not have a sword of her own yet and of live steel too. "How does it feel? Do you like the balance?"

"Yes!" she said much happier than before.

"We should have given it more thought Jon." Said Arthur smiling. "Poor Bran will be dragged into never-ending fights now…"

"Gods…" Jon whispered as he messed up Arya's hair. "Go easy on him will you?"

"I will," Arya assured. "When I see it fit…"

"And hide it from the royals," Arthur added. "They will be with their pride shattered when a girl waves her sword better than the Crown Prince."

"Arthur." Jon scolded as Arya giggled.

"Sorry…" Arthur said with his head low. "Or not…"

"I wish you both could come as well…" Arya murmured with a sad face. "It would be so much better."

"It will just be a year Arya," Arthur said as he clapped her shoulder. "We will be here waiting for the next champion of Winterfell to arrive and kick our arses to the dirt."

"We will miss you, little sister," Jon said. "But as Arthur said, it will be just a year."

"Now put the sword down and give us a hug," Arthur commanded and she did so, hugging them tightly and showering them with kisses. "Also…don't you wish to know what the name of your sword is?"

"Name?" she asked confused. "Does it have a name too?"

"All the best swords have names," Jon said smiling. "This one is named after your favorite thing…"

She seemed puzzled at first but then it came to her. "Needle!"

"Indeed." Both brothers laughed.

"Thank you both." she said as she made way to her chest to store it there.

Arthur and Jon said their farewells to the rest of their siblings and friends. Their mother showered them in more kisses and hugs before letting them say goodbye to their father.

"Winterfell will be yours for the next year." His father said with a shy smile. "It's not an easy task but I'm sure you two and Theon can pull it up."

"We won't let you down father," Arthur assured. "We will make you proud."

"You already do." His father agreed. "Remember everything me and your mother thought you. It will come in handy now."

"We will." Jon nodded as he hugged his father. "Winter is Coming."

"Winter is Coming." His father smiled. "Take care you both."

"Take care father," Arthur said while hugging his father as well. "Winter is Coming."

And with that, the royal party finally left Winterfell, the North was his responsibility and duty. He would prove is worth now.

**Cassana Baratheon II**

Dragonstone, Narrow Sea, Year 298 AC

Cassana was peeking through the door of the Lord's chamber…her father was there writing some documents…and…

"Cassana are you to stay there for the rest of the day?" Her father inquired. "I'm sure you have lessons to attend with your Septa that will certainly be more productive."

Septa Mordane…to the woman Cassana was certainly a heathen…Mordane was nice but very strict…she more than complimented Cassana's abilities and qualities as a lady but also scolded without stop for her more boyish behaviors. Not that Cassana ever cared about her scolding…

"I wanted to inquire you about something father." Cassana began as she approached her sire.

"And what is it?" Her father asked back, his gaze falling upon her.

"Why have you left King's Landing in such short notice?"

Her father studied for a while…She didn't spend much time with him as he mostly spent his days in the capital, doing his duty as Master of Ships but every time he came to do his duty as a husband and as a father, Cassana would always try to play as much as she could with him.

He wasn't the perfect father, far from it, she came to find out that her father was uncomfortable around women and well…Cassana was a woman. But he never denied her of anything and gave his best to make her someone with a future.

"What is your guess?" Another thing her father liked to do with her was putting her brain to work with difficult questions…usually, she liked the challenge but today she was not really in the mood for it.

"Something happened at King's Landing that placed your life at danger." she suggested.

Her father smiled one of his rare and shy smiles. "You are certainly a bright woman," he confessed. "Your mother and even Ser Davos thought I had another quarrel with your uncle Robert and to an extent, they right as I indeed had one."

"That is not surprising," Cassana confessed. "And because it was not surprising and actually quite normal, it could never be that the reason for you to leave your position."

"A good reasoning." Her father admitted.

"Are you tell me what happened?" she insisted, she wanted answers.

"No." he plainly said. "You are still too young to understand…"

"I'm fourteen father!" she hissed bitterly. "You just told me that I am a bright person and frankly I doubt I wouldn't understand it. Am I not worthy of knowing?"

"Let us forget about this," he said. "The Septa should be waiting for you and if not her, then Velaryon should."

"But this not…"

"Go on with your duty." And that placed her on her place…or so he thought…she would get her answers.

When the afternoon came she was fighting with Jaehon, angrily because no one told her anything, not father, not Jaehon, not mother, no one did. She had to find out everything on her own and she was tired of it.

"You should calm yourself Cassana," Jaehon suggested. "Your movements have no precision, if it were a battle, you could very well be dead."

"And what do you know about battles anyway?" she retorted angrily. "You said you hate to fight and you are barely older than me so can you know?"

"He has spilled blood already, young Lady Cassana."

She and Jaehon glanced the woman who spoke, she was standing there by the courtyard. A woman of long copper hair and pale skin, with full breasts and a slender figure concealed in a long robe of bright red fabric. There was a red and gold choker with a huge bright ruby around her neck…

"Who are you?" Cassana inquired, she never saw this woman before. "And how do you know my name?"

"You are Lord Stannis Baratheon's daughter," she replied with a deep and weird accent as she began walking towards them. "Everyone on this island knows your name, My Lady."

"And yet I do not know yours and I certainly do not like it." Cassana retorted as she was getting confused with Jaehon's weird and hypnotized look as the woman walked towards them.

"You may call me Melisandre," she said with a smile. "I'm…"

"A Red Priestess." Jaehon completed and she sighed mentally for him returning to his normal self.

"Indeed young Jaehon Velaryon who they call the Sea Dragon," she said with an amused look, a weird smile on her face. "Is it true what they say of sea dragons? That they ate krakens?" How did she know he was called Jaehon? And how did she know he was a Velaryon? And what did this talk about sea dragons and krakens meant?

"According to legend yes," Jaehon replied expressionlessly. "I'm quite sure if another is to be spotted it will be with a kraken in its mouth."

"Very interesting…" The woman said as she stood in front of Jaehon glancing him from up and down. "I have seen you in the flames…"

"I have no wish to know about my future." Jaehon dismissed while Cassana was still confused with it all. "Surely you did came here to Westeros talk of a disinherited man."

"I have not…but that doesn't mean I should abandon the notion," she whispered. "I have a job to do but it looks as if I have to wait a while more."

"And what job is that may I know?" Cassana inquired…she had never so confused in her life as she was now…_more questions and fewer answers…great…_

"You will find out soon enough, Lady Cassana." The woman bowed as she began walking away. "The night is dark and full of terrors and you and your family will need the light in what is to come."

Not too long after and the woman completely disappeared...Cassana did not know what in Seven Hells just happened there…

"Are you alright Cassana?" Jaehon asked.

"No I'm not!" she hissed bitterly. "What was all this?"

"I don't trust her," Jaehon confessed. "There is a weird aura about her…and many of the Red Priests are religious fanatics, making sacrifices to their god…fanatics are dangerous."

Then she remembered Jaehon's weird look and the realization came to her... "Were you…staring at her breasts?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Jaehon seemed to be caught off guard with her question or so she thought. "No." Was his reply. "She was walking towards me, I had to stare at her to see if she was not going to attack me somehow. I most certainly was not staring at her breasts…"

It wasn't the first time she noticed him staring where it could be considered inappropriate…his glances were fast and not common but she did catch him staring at her sometimes…he wasn't the only one though…man sometimes were a bunch of pigs. "If you say so…" she concluded with wary eyes. "Though I must agree with you, I don't trust her either…"

"She got here without anyone suspecting her…" Jaehon added.

"Perhaps I should send some soldiers to fetch her…"

"For some reason, I doubt it will do much…" he said. "If she wanted to kill us, she could do it if the things I heard about them Red Priest are true."

More questions…great… "I will order the soldiers to be more attentive nevertheless."

"I guess it doesn't hurt to do that."

"I also wanted to say that I'm going to King's Landing soon." she said.

That caught Jaehon by surprise. "Why?"

"My father refuses to tell me what happened there so if I want to know, I ought to go there myself." Cassana explained.

"Do you realize how awful it sounds?" he questioned her decision. "Your father left King's Landing for a reason and you want to go there hunting for a needle in a haystack?"

"I will be fine besides there is been a while since I last saw my nuncles." she dismissed his worries. "It will do me good to leave Dragonstone for once."

"It will do you no good to go to a nest of vipers."

"I know how to defend myself." she insisted. "I'm the King's niece, surely no one will dare to harm me!"

"Cassana you are a smart woman and so you can't believe in that." Jaehon retorted. "It's risky."

"Then come with me and shut up because I'm going anyway." she made her decision clear and it wouldn't be him convincing him otherwise.

Jaehon sighed defeated. "What they say about Baratheons is true…you are all stubborn as the Gods know what…"

"So you are coming or keep ranting to the air?"

"I can't let you go alone…" he admitted. "So I guess I will go with you. But all the blame is yours."

"Don't worry, I will take responsibility for it," she assured him. "Oh and don't stare at women's breasts as you just did."

"I wasn't staring at her breasts…" he declared in a sigh.

_I'm going to find out what happened in the capital…why father left…If no one tells me the answers then I find them myself._

* * *

**As always thank you for the reviews, they mean a lot to me. And that answer some of them:**

**raw66: Chaos is a ladder and Littlefinger will certainly look for chaos to ascend. The Starks are not out of the equation for him if it means he can profit from them being at war.**

**Prince of Petersburg: The notes of Chapter 1 do say how the Stark children look like and their personalities will be shown as it goes. Littlefinger will look to where he can profit so neither the Starks not the Baratheons are out of his plans. Your suggestion is interesting though.**

**The Guest speaking of Cregan Stark, times were different then. When Cregan came south everyone was weak from the war, the North, however, had been untouched by it. Here everyone is at their full might so any rash decision can cause a huge war.**

**C.S. Tolkien: I don't quite understand what you mean? Could you elaborate?**

**Now since I have been receiving suggestions on who should Jon marry I decided to create a poll with some of my thoughts, from the ones I prefer to those I don't really want...It will go in two rounds, each lasting a week. First-round will have all these candidates below and the second will have the three most voted ones. You can only vote in one. It will happen here and archiveofourown. So just make a review on who do you pick from:**

**-Wynafryd Manderly**  
**-Alys Karstark**  
**-Ygritte**  
**-Meera Reed**  
**-Wylla Manderly**  
**-An Umber daughter of Greatjon**  
**-A Mormont daughter of Maege**  
**-Cassana Baratheon**  
**-Val**  
**-Margaery Tyrell**  
**-Myrcella Baratheon**

**As always thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	6. Talking About Dead Things

++x++

**Ashara Dayne IV**

Somewhere by the Barrowlands, North, 298 AC

They had stopped somewhere in the Barrowlands to stretch their legs and have some rest after hours of riding.

Princess Myrcella had come to with them once more and once more Queen Cersei politely tried to stop it from happening but to no avail as Robert himself encouraged his daughter to join Ashara's daughters. Brandon and Tommen were also getting friendlier towards each other. It seemed only Joffrey wasn't much interested in them…except for Elianna and that worried Ashara…

"The Princess is quite happy with the girls," Ros stated. "I think our girls have made a friend."

"I'm actually quite surprised that Arya has warmed up for her," Ashara admitted as she glimpsed the girls playing catch me if you can while Bran read some book about some Kings in the North. "It's some progress made."

"Indeed…I'm quite surprised myself but then again Arya just wants to feel loved." Ros said with a warm smile.

"It's more complicated than that but not entirely false." Ashara nodded, recalling her memories of Lyanna, the person Arya resembles the most…and how sadly her sister-in-law's life ended…_At least she died in Ned's arms…the person she loved the most…_

"Yes I do know Milady but when Jeyne called her horseface a few years ago and they all laughed at her…she was heartbroken…I found her crying on her room not long after…she in her innocence of five or six years old asked me why she wasn't pretty as her sister, or me, or you Milady." Ros said with a plain face than soon turned to a smile. "I told her that she was the one who resembled her aunt Lyanna the most and as because of it, she would be a great beauty when older putting her sister and friends to shame. At that was when I gained her trust, she just needed someone else besides you to tell her what I told her."

"And I, of course, was thankful for your deed, my dear," Ashara said whilst patting her companion's cheek. "Fortunately it didn't take long for Elianna to understand that shameful act she and her friends had and apologize to Arya, making everything go smoother between them all." They were a pack and had to behave as such.

"Has Milady seen the murderous looks the Queen has been giving us?" Ros asked. "She does not seem very happy that her cubs are playing with our pups…"

"Let her look at me as I will keep looking at her as well." Ashara proclaimed. "I will be waiting for her move. That is if she is stupid enough to try anything."

"Four eyes are better than just two Milady…" Ros laughed. "And mine are sharp and trained."

"Oh, I know that much, love." Ashara laughed as well. "You were a wonderful apprentice."

"I appreciate the compliment Milady." Ros smiled. "May I ask where Lord Eddard is? I haven't seen him yet…"

"Robert came by to have a talk with him when he brought Myrcella," Ashara explained. "Alyn told me the King came very early but decided against bothering us so early and came an hour or two later."

"Talk about matters of state I presume?"

"Most certainly." Ashara agreed. "Or something that should not fall in the wrong ears…"

"I wonder in which state the realm really is…the North has been prospering for more than a decade but…"

"I must admit I'm quite clueless in the matter as well," Ashara confessed. "But no doubt Ned will elucidate me."

"No doubts indeed Milady," Ros said. "The day our kind Lord Eddard does not tell you something is the day we ought to be extra careful."

"Wise words my friend, wise words." Ashara agreed. "By the way, I would like your opinion on a particular matter…I was thinking of inviting my friends from Dorne for a meetup in the capital so we can introduce each other's children to each other and a pleasant conversation."

"The ladies Jasline, Nysah, and Emyly?" Ros questioned.

"Them exactly. It has been fifteen years since I saw them…we have not talked beside letters too, I need to share some words with them."

"While I certainly don't disagree, I believe we should be settled properly in the capital before we attempt such a thing," Ros explained her point of view. "I don't believe the Queen who already has her eyes set on us or the courtiers will appreciate a sudden increase of Dornish blood in the capital."

"Yes…You do have a point…" she admitted a little saddened but this was something she really wanted to do so she would falter at it… "I do have a full year in the capital…so I can wait a few months more."

"That sound like a wonderful plan, Milady," Ros said. "I must say I do look forward to meeting them."

"They will love you," Ashara said. "A friend of mine is a friend of theirs," Ashara said as she rested her hand on Ros' shoulder. "Now shall we join our girls and have some fun while we wait for my dearest husband to arrive? Or that cursed wheelhouse of the Queen…if it ever gets here that is…"

Ros broke into laughter and Ashara did so too… "Let's do this."

**Eddard Stark IV  
**

Somewhere by the Barrowlands, North, 298 AC

The sun was high in the sky while they crested a low ridge when Robert finally pulled up his horse. They seemed to be miles away from the main party and Ned was, of course, worried for his family.

Robert was flushed and exhilarated… "Gods!" he proclaimed laughing. "It feels good to get out and ride the way a man was meant to ride! I swear Ned, this creeping along is enough to drive a man mad. That damnable wheelhouse…the way it creaks and groans, climbing every bump in the road as if it were a mountain…no wonder my daughter prefers to ride on your wife's wheelhouse…" he roared in laughter. "I swear to you if that wretched thing breaks another axle, I'm going to burn it and Cersei can bloody walk to the capital on her pristine feet!"

Ned laughed. "I will gladly light the torch for you."

Robert laughed will clapping him on the shoulder. "I have half a mind to leave them all behind and just keep going." he proclaimed. "What do you say, Ned? Just you and me as two vagabond knights on the Kingsroad, our swords at our sides and the Gods know what in front of us. Maybe a farmer's daughter or a tavern wench to warm our beds tonight."

"I have a wife." Ned quickly dismissed, he was well enough with his wife to look for a tavern wench. Who needs a tavern wench you have Ashara Dayne? "And we have our duties now."

Robert laughed yet again. "Bring the woman along for all I care, as long as she makes you happy I will not object." His friend's expression turned somber. "Well, I did not bring you here for some foolish dreams of mine. There came a rider in the night, from Lord Varys in King's Landing, I better just show you the bloody message." At with that he pulled a paper from his belt and handed it to Ned.

Ned unrolled the paper with trepidation to see what the eunuch had to say…

_Your Grace,_ _May this letter inform you that Daenerys Targaryen has married the great Khal Drogo and by now she most likely rides in the Dothraki Sea in Khal Drogo's huge khalasar._ _We will be expecting Your Grace's command on how to deal with this situation._ _Lord Varys._

"What is the source of this information?" Ned asked. "Where did Varys learned of this?"

"Do you remember Ser Jorah Mormont?"

"Would that I might forget him." Ned said bluntly. Jorah had tried to swell the family coffers by selling some poachers to a Tyroshi slaver because his lands were cold and poor and he had a Hightower wife to satisfy…The crime dishonored the north and before Ned could apply justice, Jorah had taken a ship to Essos with his expensive wife.

"He was in Pentos at the time of this marriage, anxious to earn a royal pardon that would allow him to return from exile," Robert explained. "Lord Varys makes good use of him."

"So the slaver has become a spy…" Ned said with distaste. Jorah had been a great man and now he is but a mere shadow of that man. He handed the letter back.

"Jorah aside, what do you make of his report?" Robert inquired.

"Daenerys Targaryen has wed some Dothraki horse lord. What of it?" Ned asked. "Shall we send her a wedding gift?"

Robert frowned. "A knife perhaps. A good sharp one and a bold man to wield it."

Ned tried his best to keep his temper this time. "Your Grace, the girl is scarcely more than a child and you are no Tywin Lannister to slaughter innocent children…"

"And how long will she remain an innocent?" Robert's mouth grew hard. "This child of yours will soon enough spread her legs and start breeding more dragonspawn to plague me."

"Nonetheless…" Ned sighed as he thought about his promise. "The murder of children…it would be vile…unspeakable…"

"Unspeakable?" The King roared. "What Aerys did to your brother Brandon was unspeakable. The way your father died…that was unspeakable! And Rhaegar…how many times do you think he raped your sister? How many hundreds of times?" His voice had grown so loud that his horse whinnied nervously beneath him.

"It wasn't Elia's children not Daenerys Targaryen those who committed the atrocities," Ned said without blinking. "I hold no hate towards them."

Robert jerked the reins hard, quieting the animal and pointed an angry finger at Ned. "I will kill every Targaryen I can get my hands on until they are as dead as their dragons! And then I will piss on their graves! And you better not be against me, Ned! Don't you dare be against me!"

Ned knew better than to defy him further. "You can't get your hands on this one, can you?"

Robert's mouth twisted in a bitter grimace. "Some pox-ridden Pentoshi cheesemonger had her brother and her walled up on his estate with pointy-hatted eunuchs all around them and now he handed them over to the Dothraki…I should have killed her years ago, when it was easy to get them, but Jon was as bad as you…More fool was I for listening to him."

"Jon Arryn was a wise man and a good Hand." Ned said.

Robert snorted. The anger seemed to be leaving him now. "This Khal Drogo is said to have a hundred thousand large horde. What would Jon say to that?"

"He would say that even a million Dothraki are no threat to the realm, so long as they remain on the other side of the narrow sea," Ned replied calmly. "They have no ships and hate the sea."

Robert shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. "There are ships to be had in the Free Cities, Ned! I do not like this marriage!" he hissed. "There are still those who call me Usurper. Did you forget how many fought for the Targaryens? They bide their time for now but give them half a chance and they will murder me and my own. If the Beggar King crosses with a Dothraki horde at his back the traitors will join him."

"He will not cross," Ned promised. "And if by some chance he does, we will throw him back into the sea. Once a Warden of the East is…"

"For the last time, I will not name Jon's son as Warden!" Robert groaned. "With the Targaryens climbing in bed with the Dothraki, I would be mad to rest one-quarter of the realm on the shoulders of a sickly child!"

Ned was already prepared for this. "Yet we still must have a Warden of the East. If the boy will not do, name your brother Stannis. He has proved himself countless times."

He let the name hang there for a moment. Robert merely frowned and said nothing as he looked uncomfortable. Then it came to him…

"That is…unless you have promised the honor to another…" Ned murmured quietly.

For a moment Robert had the grace to look startled and just as quickly it turned into annoyance. "What if I have?"

"You named Jaime Lannister did you not?"

Robert kicked his horse back into motion and started down the ridge toward the barrows. Ned kept pace with him, he was not letting him go without an answer. "I did."

No matter how much Ashara told him that the man did a great thing, he still didn't see it as such. "An able and courageous man, no doubt." Ned proclaimed. "But his father is Warden of the West. No family should hold both the East and West. That will place half the armies of the realm into the hands of Lannisters."

"I will fight that battle when the enemy appears on the field, make no mistake of it." Robert proclaimed stubbornly. "Don't vex me about this, Ned, the stone has been set."

"May I speak frankly?" Ned asked.

"I seem unable to stop you." Robert grumbled while they rode through tall brown grasses.

"You are drowning yourself in a Lannister sea. You have given them far too much power for such a treacherous house." Ned plainly stated. "When I entered King's Landing after the Trident, the city had been sacked through treachery, just as they killed Aerys."

"Treachery was a coin the Targaryens knew well!" Robert dismissed as the anger was building up again. "The Lannisters paid them back in kind. It was no less than what they deserved. I have no troubles sleeping at night. And someone had to kill Aerys anyway."

"You were not there to see the people being raped and murdered," Ned said with bitterness in his voice as he recalled some of those horrific scenes. "There was no honor in that conquest."

"The Others take your bloody honor!" Robert barked. "What did Targaryens ever know about honor? Go down into your crypts and ask Lyanna about it!"

"You avenged Lyanna at the Trident!" Ned said halting beside the King.

"That did not bring her back." Robert looked away, off into the distance.

"Nor did killing Elia Martell and her children." Ned insisted.

"Your wife is surely whispering in your ear about it isn't she?" Robert asked. "She is Dornish and a former lady-in-waiting to that…"

"I do not need Ashara whispering in my ear to know it was wrong." Ned dismissed. "What did the woman and her babes do to us?"

"Enough of talking about Targaryen whelp!" he roared.

"I agree. I must return to my wife and children." Ned said as he felt a vast sense of helplessness as Robert was still haunted by Targaryens while he was being encircled by Lannisters..._This is going to be way more difficult than what I thought…_ "They should be worried about me by now."

"It's better indeed." Robert agreed. "Let us return, I have said everything I needed to."

Ned was simply no Jon Arryn to curb Robert's wildness, Robert would do what he pleased as he always had and there was nothing that Ned do to change that. He hoped he and Ashara would be able to at least make everything better before their term ends…

**Artos Dawnbright I**

Myr, Free Cities, Year 298 AC

The inn was bloody loud and overcrowded with people celebrating an important victory of Myr over Tyrosh. Women roamed around the tables, trying to get some extra coin with the victory, there would be more potential clients than usual.

The Myrish wine taste like piss, nothing could surpass Dornish vintage but ever since that day in Dorne all those years ago, he refused to drink Dornish wine even if there was plenty of it in the Free Cities.

"Hey, handsome." A slender woman of olive skin, curly black hair and a small chest said with a bright smile directed at him. Her looks reminded him of the only woman he ever loved…a woman who he did nothing to save and let die. "Would you join me for a ride upstairs?"

"I'm afraid not." he replied with a polite smile.

"Why not handsome?" she asked curiously. "Do you not find me attractive enough?"

"I do." he dismissed. "I'd be a fool if I said otherwise."

"Then why won't you have me Ser?" she asked rather disheartened.

"You remind me of the only woman I ever loved," he confessed. "I failed her and allowed her and her children to die…I'm not worthy enough of bedding someone who looks so much like her."

The whore eyed him with a confused and yet compassionate look as it seemed...Those expressions reminded him of her… "Ser, allow this woman some boldness but I'm quite sure the woman you loved so much would not like to see you depressed," she said and Artos smiled at that. _She wouldn't but I would._ "But I must respect your decision, I'm sorry to have bothered you. Do have a pleasant evening and may you find some peace in your soul." She bowed and began walking away.

"Wait!" he called and she returned confused. "How much do you cost?"

"Twenty four barges, Ser," she replied. "Why have you changed your mind?"

Artos picked his coin bag in which he held the many different coins of the many different places and picked the currency of Myr, the barge. "Here you go," he said as he dropped them on her small palm. "For your understanding of my situation."

The woman smiled. "I should have known…Thank you so much, Ser. Really thank you…"

"Please do not call me Ser." he begged. "I'm not worthy of such a title."

"Can I have another name to call you then?" she asked.

"Artos," he replied. "Artos Dawnbright."

She once more smiled a bright smile... "Well Artos Dawnbright, if you ever find yourself with your mood changed, just ask for Nella."

"I will keep that in mind," he said as he drank more of his wine. "But you know that is not going to happen."

"Never hurts to try…See you around, handsome." And with that, she left, to find another client or do something else entirely. Her life was hers to live and not his but Gods did she look so much like her…

He stayed there for a while more, drinking and when he was done with that, he simply stared at his empty cup…_This sort of thing does remind me of someone I know…_the thought alone made him smile. _I wonder how they are now…I hope they are well, I would hate to have her sad…but I know she is not._

"There you are." The voice of the boy he was now sworn to protect made him look towards the direction it came from.

The boy painted his silver-blond hair with blue dye to conceal his identity though his eyebrows remained in their natural color. He was a rather tall handsome boy that resembled his father in looks and voice but his mother in personality. Next to him was the lad's friend, Ser Rolly Duckfield, this one a man grown already, broad-shouldered and tall, with orange hair and beard and brown eyes. "Here I am indeed."

"We always find you drinking at some inn Artos," Rolly commented. "That is not very healthy is it?"

"Life is not healthy and is full of sorrows and you ought to drink them away somehow." The boy said with his own smile. "That's what he always says isn't it?"

"Indeed lad." Artos said while pointing the empty cup towards the boy. "You better remember that till your last breath. Now, why have you both came here?"

"Griff says we are leaving by the morrow, to Pentos I believe." The boy explained. "It has been a while since we have been there…"

Indeed it has…perhaps now Artos could demand that fat fuck some explanations on why Daenerys Targaryen was sent off to marry a Khal of all people…This is why they should have never trusted Varys because now he was turning everyone into his own pawns for something he did not know… "Indeed it has…" Artos admitted.

"Well, you know Griff, Artos," Rolly said smirking before he began imitating Griff's voice. "We ought to rise early to catch the better breezes!"

Artos couldn't but smile and the boy was laughing. "That is a Griff for you." Artos said. "He never gets tired of being a killjoy. The older he gets, the worse he gets as well."

"We are off to bed Artos." The boy said. "Lest to make him angry and rant us…Are you staying for a while more?"

"I am." Artos admitted.

"Then you better pour some more wine in that empty cup or you look stupid." The lad murmured as he clapped his shoulder just before leaving with Rolly. _Perhaps I gave him way too much freedom with me…but he does have a point…I do look stupid with an empty cup on my hand…_

Half an hour later, he had finished the fifth cup of Myrish water…thanks to Dornish wines he had a strong stomach to wine so he wasn't too drunk yet as some people would be, but he was bored and tired and for that, he decided to go to his room upstairs and sleep as he was not interested in hearing Connington or Griff or whatever fake names they went on by, rant him.

When he was at the door of his room, he began hearing some voices down the hall. "Let me go!" This one was a female's voice.

"Oh come on gorgeous." And this one was a male… "I want to have a good time with you…"

"Then pay for it!" Artos went on to see what was happening and saw that whore from earlier…Nella was being harassed by a huge man, much taller than Artos himself.

"I don't think I will." The man said as he pushed her against the wall in a brutish way. "I'm just going to shove my cock up your cunt whore, and for free." And with that, he began tearing up Nella's silks while she tried her best to free herself from his grip while she screamed in agony. And no one gave a shit about her…

The words he heard fifteen years ago came to his mind… _She was raped and murdered…I almost puked with the sight…it was a terrible sight and sin…_

Without any more thought, Artos unsheathed his sword out. It was nothing like that blade he yielded years ago which certainly would reject him now, for he was a sinner. The huge man was already naked below his waist when his head went flying in a single slash as it hit the wall and gave its final breath.

Nella fell to the floor, shocked with everything she had seen. Her clothes were completely tarnished…her womanhood and breasts were displayed for anyone to see and tears were on her eyes and face…_Was this how Elia looked before she was raped and murdered? _To his own surprise, Artos began to drop tears as well, he gently grabbed her hand and brought her along to his room.

"You can have the bed, I shall sleep in the floor." he told her as soon as the door was closed, failing to hide his own tears.

"You are crying…" she whispered confused and worried.

"Something got into my eyes…that is all…" Artos dismissed. "I don't cry."

"But…"

"Go to sleep." he commanded her. "Whoever asks, you were with me the whole night, pleasuring me."

Nella looked wary of it but she finally laid down on the bed. "Thank you Artos…"

"Don't mention it," he said. "Sleep well and forget what happened."

After that, they remained in silence. Artos spent quite a while cleaning his sword for the cunt's blood had stained it and when he was done he took a glance at the woman…she was sleeping peacefully in the bed…and he wondered if it was like this that Elia slept…he never had the chance to see…

Artos decided to not think about it further as he would likely break down in tears once more…and on the floor, he slept.

When dawn came, he was already wakened up. He slept for some five or six hours at most and so he was tired but that was not new anyway…his nights had been shit for fifteen years...He glanced Nella once more and she was still sleeping peacefully…_I did the right thing for once…_

As he predicted, people had found the body but none could know who did it. Artos had done the deed without making any noise and there was no one but Nella around then and even if she were to somehow tell about to someone, it mattered not for he was not returning to this inn.

He walked all the way to the harbor of Myr and climbed the ropes into the Shy Maid. Once inside, he saluted Yandry and Ysilla, Haldon the Half Maester, Rolly and Young Griff as his cover name went. And then there was Griff…

"You took your time Artos," he said. "We could have left a while ago."

"I had to sleep something." Artos dismissed.

"Those who saw you and those who see you now…" Grif commented with a weak smile. "You are even worse than me."

"I failed thrice…no I failed four times by now…" Artos confessed. "How did you expect me to be?"

"You mean Princess Daenerys Targaryen?" Griff asked already knowing the answer. "That has been bothering me too…Varys and Illyrio are making moves and we don't know what purpose they have..."

"I will demand some explanations from that fat fuck once I see him." Artos proclaimed. "I'm tired of this, the girl and her brother need help and I'm tired of doing nothing for them."

"We will have to demand some explanations from him indeed," Griff admitted as he clapped Artos' shoulder. "We can't be pawns forever nor will we."

"Nor will we indeed." he agreed sighing…

He spared a glance at the sea and he began remembering those times back at Dorne where he, his sister, Elia, and Oberyn watched the seas and talked of their dreams…I failed you Elia, I failed Queen Rhaella, I failed Lyanna Stark and now I failed Rhaegar's siblings…I'm nothing but a disgraced knight…I'm nothing but a drunkard now a shameful excuse of a knight…the Sword of the Morning is dead.

* * *

**Some more mysteries or not...**

**I don't think the Myrish coins had a name so I called them barges because of ship engraved in it and because it sounded cool to me.**

**So here are the results until now, the voting ends next Tuesday once I publish the chapter. Just some clarifications, the numbers between the parathesis are the max they could get with votes received but they don't fully count because these were made by people who voted on more than a character, so, for example, Margaery has 6 votes validated and two potential more from people who voted on more than one character so I would appreciate if 81, BigWilly526, trollzor69 and thetasmanian could vote for just one character.**

** The * means that the character still can make it round 2 depending on the votes...**

**I must beg forgiveness for the bad formatting...if there is any doubt please do tell me. These are the votes received from both sites.**

**-Wynafryd Manderly 4 votes***  
**-Alys Karstark 3(4) votes***  
**-Ygritte 2 votes**  
**-Meera Reed 1(3) votes**  
**-Wylla Manderly 2 votes**  
**-An Umber daughter of Greatjon 0 votes**  
**-A Mormont daughter of Maege 2(3) votes**  
**-Cassana Baratheon 4(6) votes [3rd]**  
**-Val 16 votes [1st]**  
**-Margaery Tyrell 6(8) votes [2nd]**  
**-Myrcella Baratheon 0(2) votes**

**Now I must say I was quite surprised by these results...Val dominated and I wasn't expecting it at all nor was I expecting the Northern ladies to be so low...I was expecting Wynafryd and Alys to win so yeah...I'm not sure if I will do a second round at all since Val clearly dominated and perhaps will even get a few more votes before Tuesday...**

**Thank you for all the reviews, I would like to answer some of them:**

**Prince of Petersburg: You really don't see Stannis making alliances at all. Perhaps it is why the Mannis was always against the worst odds.**

**DodemGM: For some reason when I wrote the chapter I was thinking about Cersei hence it came Queen's niece when it was King's niece, I corrected it right after. Though I think that Cassana is still the Queen's Niece because Cersei is Robert's wife.**

**C.S. Tolkien: I knew about the theory, just not by that name. Jon is Ned and Ashara's son and will not be any of those things you said because I dislike them as well, that and the harem stories. Jon has a role to play but he is not Christ.**

**raw66: It will depend on the circumstances, though I will keep your comment in mind.**

**Guest speaking of Cersei and Ned: I never thought he underistimated her because she was a woman, I think he wanted to save her children because he knew Robert would kill them hence why he offered her the chance to flee. Of course it backfired on him.**

**So yeah...as always thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	7. True Colors

++x++

**Elianna Stark I**

Near the Crossroads Inn, Riverlands, Year 298 AC

"Where is father?" Elianna asked her mother who was breaking her fast with her, Lyra, Ros, and Bran.

"The King sent for him once more…another hunt…" Mother confessed sighing. She was not happy with the King stealing father at every hour…surely she missed the life at Winterfell already…Elianna felt quite the same, to be honest…_There is nothing like home…_

She fed a piece of bacon to Star and noticed Bran doing the same to Rune and Ros helping Lyra doing the same with Blacky. "The Prince said he wished to have a stroll with me today." Elianna confessed.

"You must go Elianna!" Jeyne said beaming. "It's a big chance to…"

"See what he really is." Her mother cut in with a plain look. "Jeyne, it is good that you feel excited about a pretty face but I thought me and Ros instructed you better."

"My Lady…" Jeyne flushed in shame. "My apologies…"

"It's okay darling." Mother said with a warm smile. "I gave you all those lessons because I felt in my own skin what being innocent and naïve does to a woman and that was something I did not wish my daughters or their friends to feel." Her mother explained. "The betrothal is not made Elianna. If you deem Prince Joffrey unworthy you will tell me, okay?"

Elianna saw the looks she dreamt of in a Prince in Joffrey but she did not really know him yet…she did not know what to think…she felt attracted to him but…but that time in Winterfell's courtyard…she did not like the way he made her twin brother angry…Sure Arthur was annoying at times…well…often…but she loved her brother so very much just as she loved Jon, Arya, Bran, and Lyra. Father always told them that a pack stays together and she fights for her pack too. "You need not to worry mother, I will have my eyes and ears open."

Her mother smiled. "I know you will love."

Elianna went outside with Star and Jeyne to catch some fresh air. The men were dismantling the tents and pavilions in anticipation for another day's march. "The day looks beautiful Jeyne," she said to her friend. "Don't you agree?"

"Indeed." Jeyne agreed, but her friend seemed disappointed.

"What is troubling you?" Elianna asked with concern in her mind.

"What your mother told us…I…"

"We are still young Jeyne, we are bound to make mistakes and do foolish things," Elianna said with what she hoped was a copy of mother's warm smile. "But as my mother and father told me, we ought to learn from them. Now don't feel sad my friend and learn from your mistakes so you can become a better person."

"Yes…thank you Elianna." Jeyne nodded with a shy smile but a better expression than what she had before. "I will do my best."

"I know so."

It was then they noticed a huge commotion around the Queen's wheelhouse, two knights in well-made armor that Elianna never saw before were there waving at the crowd.

"Who are they?" Elianna asked knowing fully well that Jeyne did not know the answer either.

"I don't know…" Her friend replied the answer she was expecting.

"Those are Ser Barristan Selmy and the King's youngest brother Renly Baratheon." It had been her mother who spoke behind them, startling the two friends but the laugh that followed soothed them somehow. "My two beautiful girls." Her mother whispered amused in their ears while wrapping her arms around them. "Shall we go meet them?"

"Ser Barristan the Bold himself?" Jeyne sounded amazed with the prospect. "Oh please My Lady, I want to meet him."

"Then let us do so." Her mother said while leading them closer to the knights. Even Bran was excited, leaving his many books behind, while Lyra was on Ros' arms with a look of anticipation. Meeting Ser Barristan was like a dream come true for Elianna as well for she had heard of the old knight's many feats like slaying Maelys the Monstrous or saving the Mad King from the late Lord Darklyn, he was one of their heroes.

Everyone cleared out of their path after seeing three direwolves of a dog's size get close…Ser Barristan and Lord Renly unsheathed their swords when their glances befell on the animals and she grew afraid they might strike them.

"Please Ser Barristan, Lord Renly do not feel frightened by them." Her mother spoke. "They are good animals and will not harm any of you."

Though Lord Renly was still wary of the direwolves, he spared them a confident smile, Ser Barristan however seemed completely caught by surprise, almost as if he had seen a ghost. "My Lady Ashara." The old knight stuttered.

"I see you still remember this Dornishwoman, good Ser." Mother said with a smile.

"I do." The knight replied. "It was hard not to remember My Lady."

"May I introduce you to my daughters? These are Elianna and Lyra, my son Brandon and our companions Ros and Jeyne?" Mother pointed to each one. "There is also my daughter Arya somewhere nearby but that one is a little troublemaker and I'm afraid you will meet her later."

"A pleasure Ser." They all said in unison.

"The pleasure is mine." The knight smiled a weak smile. He was really shaken for some reason…

"I see the tales of Lady Ashara Stark and her children's beauty are quite true." Lord Renly said with a smirk. "A pleasure to meet you all…and the wolves…I guess…"

They politely retorted the courtesy as expected of them. Then Elianna saw the Queen making a gesture to the Prince who came to them with an easy smile. "Uncle, my mother wishes to have a word with you and Ser Barristan."

"Why of course, we can't leave the Queen waiting can we?" Lord Renly seemed to never lose his smirk. "With My Ladies and My Lord's license."

Their polite bow was followed by a speech from the Prince. "My Lady Elianna, I made you a request a few days ago when we last spoke. Would you join me for a stroll?"

_No doubt he looks so gallant but…_ "Of course My Prince, it will be an honor."

And with that said, she and the Prince left to begin their walk. "What would you say about riding?"

"Oh I do love riding." she admitted, though her horse Smiling Star remained at Winterfell and she missed him dearly…

Joffrey glanced back at Star who was following them ever attentive. "Your wolf is liable to frighten the horses…and my dog likely frightens you too…" How could he call his sworn shield a dog? He did frighten her but he was a person, not a dog… "Let us leave them both behind and set off on our own, what do you say?"

Elianna hesitated, Star was like a sworn shield of hers and leaving her behind was not something she wished… "I suppose I could tie her up…" she said unsure. "But is it wise to leave your sworn shield behind?"

The Prince did not look pleased with her question. "Have no fear, My Lady." he proclaimed. "I am almost a man grown and I don't fight with wood, like your brothers. All I need is this." Joffrey drew his sword and showed it to her, a longsword with a leather grip and lion's head to serve as the pommel, made of gold of course.

_Well…the sword looks good and definitely well made…I should hide the fact that my brothers all fight with live steel already and were just holding off...I certainly don't wish to provoke bickering…_Elianna decided to fake an expression of amazement. "I'm certainly surprised, My Prince!"

The Prince looked pleased with her reaction and comment. "I call it Lion's Tooth."

"A wonderful name."

Joffrey brought her to where the horses were, providing her with beige colored mare and so they went on their own. She felt bad for leaving Star behind and certainly did not feel safe but played along, hoping the Prince was as good a warrior like his father and uncle.

The Prince rode his courser with haste and recklessness and she faked being bad at riding so to not destroy his confidence or pride. She began feeling hungry and was not happy with the distance they had taken from the camp. "I'm quite hungry My Prince…shall we return?" she asked.

"Wait a while longer," Joffrey said. "The battleground is right there. There!" he said with pride. "That was where my father killed Rhaegar Targaryen. He smashed his chest, right through the armor with his war hammer." Joffrey said while he swung an imaginary war hammer. "Then my uncle Jaime killed the Mad King, making my father the new King."

"My father told me so quite often, My Prince," Elianna said smiling. "I'm quite sure your sire looked majestic in that day."

"Indeed." Joffrey nodded as they began hearing the sound wood clattering… "Wait, what's that sound?"

"I don't know," she confessed, worried, hoping it was nothing bad… "But we should really go back…"

"I want to see what it is." Joffrey turned his horse towards the sound and Elianna was forced to follow him. The noise grew louder and now she could hear someone panting…she wished that Star was next to her in case it was something they should not see…

"You are safe with me." Joffrey drew Lion's Tooth from its sheath. "This way." he said as he rode into the trees…

They found themselves in a clearing overlooking the river, there were a boy and a girl practicing with wooden sticks…_Arya! _She had lost her sword in bad judged movement and the Prince laughed with the situation startling her sister and what now she saw as the butcher's boy whom she had befriended. "Arya!" she called out worried.

"Elianna?" Her sister asked. "What are you doing here?"

Joffrey glanced from Arya to Elianna and back again. "Your sister?"

"Yes." Elianna replied and for some reason, she was feeling foreboding…

"And who are you boy?" Joffrey asked in a commanding tone.

"Mycah…" The boy muttered, recognizing the Prince and averting his eyes to the ground. "My Prince…"

"He is the butcher's boy," Elianna explained. "And a playmate of my sister."

"He is my friend!" Arya corrected her in a sharp tone and Elianna began cursing herself for Arya was making it worse for them, she didn't like this one bit…

"A butcher's boy who wants to be a knight, is it?" Joffrey swung down from his mount with Lion's Tooth at hand. "Pick up your sword, butcher's boy," he commanded with some vile amusement. "Let us see how good you are."

Mycah stood there, frozen with fear. "My Prince, leave him be and let us return and enjoy a meal." Elianna begged with a fake smile.

"Quiet!" The Prince hissed at her before returning his glance to Mycah. "Go on, pick it up! Or do you only fight little girls?"

"She ask me to, My Prince…" Mycah murmured. "She ask me to…"

Both she and her sister were getting frightened by the scene… "Are you going to pick up your sword or not?"

Mycah shook his head. "It's only a stick, My Prince…It's no sword…only a stick…"

"And you are but a butcher's boy. You are not a knight." Joffrey lifted Lion's Tooth and laid its point on Mycah's cheek below the eye…the boy trembling… "That was My Lady's sister you were hitting, do you know that?"

"Stop it!" Arya screamed as she grabbed up her fallen stick. _Not good…not good at all…I have to do something…_

"Leave him be My Prince." she pleaded. "He did no harm to my sister."

"I won't hurt him…much…" The Prince said amused with what he was doing, never taking his eyes off the butcher's boy.

Arya went for him of course…as she feared…

Elianna slid off the mare but to no avail…Arya had already cracked the wood in the Prince's head making him whirl around and roaring curses…Mycah ran away and Arya tried to do her deed once more but he caught the blow with his own sword, stealing Arya's stick from her and sending it flying away.

The back of his head was covered in blood and his eyes were on fire…she feared for her sister's life. "Stop it!" she cried out but no one was listening…she wished she had paid attention to what father and her brothers tried to teach her regarding swords… "STOP IT!" she screamed in agony, feeling helpless to save her sister who the Prince was swinging his sword at while cursing. "STOPPPP!"

Joffrey had a frighten Arya pressed against a tree, that was when Nymeria came from nowhere bit the Prince's arm, disarming him and throwing him to the floor. They rolled in the grass with her sister's wolf trying to bite his neck while the Prince shrieked in pain. "GET IT OFF!" he screamed. "GET IT OFF!"

"Nymeria!" Arya called and her direwolf let go of Joffrey who lay in the grass sobbing all covered in blood. "She didn't hurt you…much…" she proclaimed while picking Lion's Tooth and pointing it at Joffrey.

"No!" Joffrey whimpered. "Don't hurt me! I will tell my mother!"

"Arya…" Elianna said in a broken voice. "Leave him be…"

Arya looked towards her with frightened eyes and then she threw the sword into the river with all her might. Her sister then ran off to her horse and disappeared with Nymeria following her close by.

After they were all gone, Elianna went to the Prince. His eyes were closed in pain. "I will go fetch someone…" she said, frightened with the consequences of her sister's actions.

His eyes opened and they were vile and crude. "Then go!" he spat out. "Get out of here!"

Once Elianna arrived at the camp, she sent some of the King's house guard to fetch the Prince while she ran to find her mother. She found them inside their tent and… "ARYA!" she screamed while she ran towards her sister and embraced her in a hug. "I'm so sorry sister…I…"

"Elianna…" Her sister was weeping as well. "I…"

"It's alright girls, everything is alright, I will fix this somehow…" Their mother said with a worried expression. "Ros tell Jory to send the butcher's boy away with his family…back north as fast as possible…and have them ready to send the direwolves away too…"

"Mother…" Both sisters remarked upon hearing their mother's plan.

"Oh my loves, I have no doubt the Queen will seek revenge. You two are harder to kill but the boy and the wolves…they don't have the same protection as you."

"I will go warn Jory," Ros said as she moved to the tent's exit. "I will tell him to dispatch someone to bring Lord Eddard and the King back as well."

"Yes do that." Mother nodded before Ros left completely. "Now you two will come with me and we shall wait for your father to arrive."

The situation didn't look good on their part…the many people that went with them were encircling their tent…mother had placed the remaining guards outside just in case.

Finally, after a long while, father came riding hard on his charger Brooding the Third, rearing the horse and jumping with haste as he entered their tent. "Ashara? What happened?"

"The Prince..." Mother began. "He was hurting Arya's friend when he and Elianna got there and then Arya defended the boy, hitting him with a stick on the head which the Prince did not like and so he tried to kill our girl with his steel sword. Nymeria bit him off. He is alive but seeking revenge."

"Gods be damned…" Father sighed. "Come here girls." They went for their father's embrace and enjoyed his embrace.

"This is going to be a big mess with the Queen." Mother said. "I have no doubt she will seek revenge, I have sent the boy and his family back North with the direwolves."

"You did well." Father agreed. "I might be able to convince Robert against any major punishments..."

"We should approach him now before the Queen can fill him with lies." Mother said.

"You are right." he nodded. "Ros keep them safe and close, they will need to give their testimony so make sure they are calm and ready."

"Of course Milord." Father gently left them on Ros' arms.

"Let's go."

The King was by the Queen's wheelhouse, Joffrey was there wrapped around his mother's arms…a mother whose eyes got narrowed as soon as Elianna's family approached.

"How dare your daughter do this my son Lord Stark!" The Queen hissed at her father. "Attacking him with that butcher's boy and that vile creature of hers, trying tear my son's arm off!"

"That's not true!" Arya shouted back, losing her composure…she was too wild to follow what mother told them to do so many times… "He was hurting Mycah!"

"They all attacked me and then she threw Lion's Tooth in the river!" The Prince insisted while not looking at them.

"Liar!" Arya yelled.

"Shut up!" he yelled back.

"ENOUGH!" The King roared so loud it could have deafened her ears. No one spoke after that… "Now I wish to hear your daughter's version, Ned." The King said with a softer tone. "Tell me everything and tell me the truth girl."

Arya stepped forward and told what happened, still shaken…Once she told how she threw Joffrey's sword. The King looked towards Joffrey with aghast eyes. "You let that little girl disarm you?" he asked and the King's brother Renly broke into laughter uncontrollably, making all eyes shift to him. "Ser Barristan escort my brother to his tent before he chokes on his own laughter." The King spoke in a defeated voice, his hand rubbing his head.

"My brother is too kind but I can find the door myself…" The lord said while trying to contain his laugh as he left. "Lion's Tooth…Seven Hells…" And the laughter followed the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands as he disappeared.

Joffrey's version came next, true until he began speaking of their encounter with Arya at which point it became a big lie. "What in Seven Hells am I supposed to make of this? Both say different things!"

"They were not the only ones present," Father said as he glanced her. "Elianna was present as well, tell us what happened."

Elianna stepped forward hesitantly…she didn't know what to say…if she was to say the truth, her family could be in danger but if she lied…if she lied she would betray her family…betray her sister who could have been killed…she would disappoint her family…she inhaled some air and let it out. "My sister speaks the truth." she said.

The Prince looked abashed as all the looks went to him but the Queen's anger was visible. "Of course she would say such a thing! They are sisters and our Joffrey is at disadvantage…"

"QUIET WOMAN!" The King roared. "It's his bloody fault he picked a fight when he can hardly win one and to a little girl nonetheless! What sort of message does this send? That the King's son is a fool!"

The Queen was now fuming. "Joffrey will carry those scars and words for the rest of his life!" she spat. "I want the girl punished."

"Ned see that your daughter is disciplined and I shall do the same to my son." The King proclaimed.

"Gladly Your Grace." Father bowed to his friend.

"And what of the direwolf?" The Queen asked. "What of the beast that savaged our son?"

"It was defending her owner." The King dismissed. "Ned send them beasts back home, I forbid them from entering the capital. I want no more problems with them."

"This is…" The Queen began.

"I will hear no more of this!" King Robert shouted as he moved away from the Queen. "The King's Justice has been served now we return to King's Landing as this bloody ride is giving me far too many problems."

The Queen looked as if she was to tear them all to pieces but returned to the wheelhouse with her children. People began to disperse and Elianna returned to her family's side. "Did I do right?" she questioned her parents, afraid of failing them.

Her mother brought her closer. "You were in a very bad position, love, I would struggle deeply if I were in your shoes and so would Ros and your father. There would be dire consequences no matter the choice you made but I think given the circumstances you chose well."

Elianna's spirit warmed up a little. "Thank you mother but the Queen and Joffrey will be resentful…"

"They will." Mother agreed. "But now we have a valid reason to say no to the King's offer…that is if…"

"I do not wish to marry him." she cut in, making her parents smile. "He almost killed Arya…though she and I are not the best sisters, she is my sister and I love her so."

Arya stepped forward and hugged Elianna and she immediately felt better for what she did. She just hoped the consequences would not be too harsh on their family…

"Now that we have been shown a bit of the capital will be as it seems..." Father began. "Let us get ready to leave. And know that I will be here for you for whatever you need me."

"And if Robert wishes to have another hunt?" Mother asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Let him go alone." Father plainly stated. "I'm tired of hunting and he said he wanted to reach the capital with haste so..."

**Cassana Baratheon III**

The Narrow Sea, Year 298 AC

They had been sailing for two days already and another two at most were needed for them to arrive at the capital.

Cassana loved her mother truly but she was thankful for her being away visiting aunt Lysa at the Eyrie as it gave Cass more freedom. Her father rarely left his study and Septa Mordane was rather easy to trick and would be occupied with Shireen's lessons since her sweet sister was younger than Cass and needed more lessons.

"Let's just hope your father doesn't send his entire fleet after you," Jaehon said as he stood next to her. "That would cause an unnecessary scene."

"You worry too much," she told him. "I think that by now you know my father pretty well to know he will not do such a thing."

"I know he will chastise you pretty well when you return…" Jaehon said. "And you deserve it."

"The deed is being done already. There is no turning back now nor would I turn back." she dismissed. "And do not worry for I will make sure you are absolved of any guilt."

"I will be able to sleep well at night then."

She sighed at her friend's nonsense. "Sometimes you are boring."

"Then I must thank you for being so benevolent with me for most people say I'm always boring." This made her look at him with a raised eyebrow. "What? Does a disinherited quiet and plain looking son of a deceased Loyalist man sound appealing to you?"

"I see no problem in it," she confessed. "You are a man like everyone else, I care not for those small details."

"Many people do see a problem with it though." Her mother was one of them…

"I'm not one of them." she insisted. "You are my boring friend and like you."

"The feeling is mutual." he replied.

"Are you calling me boring?" she questioned in a tease.

"I was not, I was saying I like you as a friend too."

"Then why don't you open up with me more often?" she asked. "We know each other for almost two years and yet I know almost nothing of you while you know so much about me."

"I have nothing to tell you that is not boring."

She scoffed, sometimes he had such sharp remarks... "Jaehon, stop being stupid, I don't like it! And stop using my own words against me."

"Fine…" It didn't look like he would open to her the easy way so she had to go around…

"Do you have any friends besides me?" That question seemed to have hit him in some sort of weak spot for he seemed to be gaping for air…he was a quiet person by nature but this was not normal…It made her feel uncomfortable…perhaps she overstepped her boundaries…

"A couple of them at Driftmark…" he finally whispered in a murmur. "Some boys of my age…there was a girl too…" His voice was cracking as he spoke. "Once…"

"What happened to her?" she asked with curiosity and a slight inch of fear.

"It matters not what happened to her, we are going to King's Landing and you have other things to get your head concerned with."

"Here we go again!" she hissed bitterly. "How can you say we are friends if you don't open to me as I do to you? It's not fair."

"Life is not fair Cassana," he said. "If it was fair then the world would be inhabited by good people only but it seems that good people die early and the bad live the longest. And no to mention that the latter are far more common."

She couldn't disagree with him…he was right, life was not fair but…but why couldn't he tell her something about him?

In truth, she had no friends besides some servants she befriended over the years…Mother and Septa Mordane always forced her to avoid befriending servants for she was a lady but who else would she befriend? There were no lords at Dragonstone and even though she visited King's Landing and Storm's End a few times…the lords' sons and daughters there were all so different from her…the girls cared nothing but for gossip and she hated when people whispered horrible things at people's backs and the boys cared for nothing but feasting and showing each other who was the manliest of them all…she always wondered what was the point of that nonsense but she never could find an answer…

When Jaehon came to Dragonstone to help her practice…she was intrigued…he cared not if he was manly enough, nor did he care for feasts or gossip…he was someone in her line of thought and once she made the effort to befriend him…she quite enjoyed his company despite her mother's disapproval of him, but for once Cassana had found a friend…_A friend who also hides things from me…_she sighed and glanced the gentle waters of the Narrow Sea.

"I guess…I can tell you why they call me the Sea Dragon." he said making her turn to him open-mouthed.

"You will?"

"It's not unknown anyway." His face was still turned to the sea. "During my grandfather's rule, Driftmark's city guard was small and inefficient…the ruins of Spice Town became a smuggler's den," he explained. "The smugglers paid huge quantities of money to my grandfather who profited more with this arrangement than with the taxes he received from the smallfolk due to Driftmark's prime location in the trade routes that lead to King's Landing and Duskendale."

"What?" she questioned open-mouthed. "Why didn't someone do something about it?"

"Because smugglers don't usually attack ships," he replied. "Pirates and corsairs do. Pirates who came one day…two years ago…a monster led them…they sacked Hull and committed a huge massacre…hundreds of people were killed and raped by them and my home was pillaged."

"Gods…"

"My grandfather who was weak and dying refused to do anything, my uncle and my half-uncle did nothing either as our people died…butchered, raped…women and children…I couldn't handle it, so I took revenge with my own hands…I had the sword my late master gave me before he passed away just as his knowledge, I donned my father's armor and brought the bow with me. I lured them all to a place I chose and I shot them all, when I had no more arrows, I unsheathed this sword at my back and slew the rest with the revolted people of Driftmark who joined me."

"But It was too late, however, most of the pirates had long embarked on their ships and were on the horizon when I came close to the sea," Jaehon said, she could see the tension in him… "The people who fought with me called me the Sea Dragon afterward."

Cass was at the loss of words. "I see…" she managed to say but she was so surprised…she never thought Jaehon could do this…but then again she never saw him angry before…they must have provoked him dearly for him to lose his control… "What happened next?"

"My grandfather wanted to send me to the Wall for the butchery I did, hoping to avoid repercussions by the pirates…but the smallfolk of Hull upon hearing about it revolted and he did not have enough soldiers to stop the riot nor did he have the assurances that he had their loyalty, and so he called for your father to pass his judgment." Jaehon smiled a bitter smile. "Taking the blame off his shoulders…"

"The people were shouting Sea Dragon on the streets and my grandfather feared I would try to oust him from power but I never wanted to do that."

"And what did my father do?" she asked curiously, she had some ideas since Jaehon ended up next to her but still…

"Your father forced the island garrison to increase to a thousand men and kicked the smugglers out of Spice Town forbidding them from coming again at the expense of exerting fines upon my now deceased grandfather and then he brought me along to be part of Dragonstone's own garrison instead of the Wall and somehow I ended up helping you practice…because you somehow took an interest in me."

"I…I always thought he brought you so I could have people around my age to practice with…" she confessed speechlessly… "Why did he keep this away from me?"

"Because it's a boring tale?"

"Do be stupid!" she hit him in the shoulders. "This was anything but boring…I'm deeply sorry for your people…they deserved none of what happened…really…" For some reason, she thought there was still something left unsaid about that horrible day he suffered but this was a lot already. "Jaehon I thank you for opening to me…it means a lot…"

"I didn't wish to see you cry." he said.

"I wasn't going to cry." she dismissed. Though she had to admit she was close…

"Then I wasn't staring at the Priestess's breasts."

"You were! I saw it!" she insisted. "Jaehon!"

"Then you were going to cry because I saw it." he countered.

"Gods you are the worse!" she hissed as she slapped his shoulder once more. "You are a pest sometimes!"

* * *

**So the 1st round ended.**

**-Wynafryd Manderly 7 [3rd]**  
**-Alys Karstark 2**  
**-Ygritte 2**  
**-Meera Reed 1**  
**-Wylla Manderly 1**  
**-An Umber daughter of Greatjon 0**  
**-A Mormont daughter of Maege 2**  
**-Cassana Baratheon 4**  
**-Val 21 [1st] **  
**-Margaery Tyrell 19 [2nd]**  
**-Myrcella Baratheon 0**

**I must say that I was caught off guard once more with Margaery's voting rising from Friday to Tuesday, it was a massive one even if I saw some irregular votes that I had to discredit not only for her but the others as well. So now I'm at an impasse, should I declare Val the winner and avoid the second round or should I do the second round but with people voting on their order of preference (ex: 1st Wynafryd, 2nd Val, 3rd Margaery) which would be converted in votes according to the position with the 1st getting 3 points, the 2nd two and the last 1 (ex 1st Wynafryd-3 points; 2nd Val-2 points and 3rd Margaery with one). I'm down for either one of three, my order of preference was the order in which the options were organized so, whoever wins, wins. With this said I hope to hear some thoughts until Friday.**

**raw66: I'm not setting for a King in the North, though I don't discard the option completly, I myself find hard for Ned to do it. Robert is doing as is canon counterpart and I don't think he is trying to destroy the Seven Kingdoms, I think he is doing just enough to keep them together but he simply wasn't made to be King.**

**Thank you for everyone who voted and spared some time reading it. I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	8. Plots And More Plots

++x++

**Artos Dawnbright II**

Pentos, Free Cities, Year 298 AC

Aegon and Rolly decided to stroll in Pentos' streets and enjoy their stay at this mighty city but Artos and Griff had other things to do, they needed a talk with Illyrio in order to get some much-needed explanations on what was happening.

As they arrived at the main gate, they were identified by the Unsullied guarding it and were escorted inside to meet the Pentoshi. It seemed the man was in his huge study room, a room full of books from the most varied locations and with a chair with comfortable cushions in which the fat man was reading some book written in Valyrian if Artos' eyes saw right.

As the man glanced them, he stood up and with a smile as he greeted them. "My friends how was the voyage from Myr?" Neither he nor Griff replied to his question but that didn't seem to bother him at all. "I see that you are both…rather shy today…"

"Why was Daenerys Targaryen sent to be wed to Dothraki Khal?" Artos questioned. "Do you realize how dangerous that is?"

"Khal Drogo has the largest khalassar, forty thousand strong," Illyrio said. "He is a strong and fierce warrior and Daenerys is in no danger."

"That still doesn't calm my mind, the girl is what thirteen and already wed?" Artos countered.

"We will need Khal Drogo's khalassar for what is to come." The man insisted.

"And what is exactly is coming?" Griff asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" The fat man replied almost as if he had taken offense with Griff's question. "To place Aegon on the throne of course. After all, isn't he Prince Rhaegar's heir?" _No, he is the bastard son of Rhaegar born of the foolishness when his parents found themselves drunk._

"That wasn't what we agreed." Artos said. "We were supposed to keep him safe from Robert Baratheon's clutches not make him go to war with them."

"We have done that Ser and we shall continue to do so." The fat man assured. "Once he gets the throne there will not be a need for him to be running for his life anymore."

"But Aegon has no claim now that House Targaryen was dethroned." Said Artos.

"No more than Robert Baratheon did before he took the throne." The fat man dismissed. "He won the throne by conquest. The Maesters of Westeros being a pesky bunch had to find a way to legitimize his conquest and so they found his Targaryen grandmother who if I'm not mistaken had no claim for the throne in the first place as she was a female." he continued. "Anyone could have gotten the throne if they so desired and once the precedent is set, then the consequences will follow."

"Robert Baratheon's reign is stable." Artos countered. "He has the Stormlands, Riverlands, North, Vale, and Westerlands behind his back and neither the Reach nor Dorne will contest that."

"Those who wait for the right opportunity will be rewarded Ser," he said with a sly smile. "Just because things are well doesn't mean they will always be that way. Varys tells me the heir to the throne is a Mad King in the making."

Griff laughed then. "So the great Robert Baratheon has spilled a Mad King from his seed…how ironic." If this was true…then it would be bad for the realm…_Another Mad King would lead to another Rebellion sooner or later…but still…_

"Is it?" The fat man questioned with a rather serious look which was not normal. "At any rate, the boy could use a couple of years more of training to be fully ready for his task and this shall give us enough time to have Khal Drogo and the Golden Company on our side."

Artos did not like this one bit, he, Ned Stark and his companions promised Lyanna that they would take care of her son, keep him safe and grant him a childhood for he had no blame in anything and now Varys and Illyrio wanted to use the boy for some personal scheme of theirs…

"Aegon is Rhaegar's heir and so he has a claim in accordance with the Targaryen customs." _No, he doesn't he is a bastard._ Artos wanted to say to Griff but did not spill a single word. "And if the Usurper's son is a Mad King in the making than all the better, Aegon will be ages away from any son that oaf could produce."

"We share the same opinion, good Ser." Illyrio grinned. "But do let me have a talk with Ser Artos here."

Griff looked towards him and then nodded before exiting the room, leaving the two of them there to have a talk.

"The boy has no claim." Artos said when they were alone. "He is a bastard."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't some of Westeros' houses support the Blackfyres? A line of bastards?"

"A line of legitimized bastards." Artos countered. "Born and raised at court."

"My friend there will be some interesting developments coming soon. That much I can assure you and you will be surprised with them." Illyrio said. "But as we were speaking, no one needs to know about Aegon's bastard status, they will think he is Princess Elia's child and not Lyanna's."

"But it's an offense against Elia's memory." he countered.

"I grieve the woman too, Ser Arthur, no one deserves such a brutal and horrible death," Illyrio said. "Varys stills has nightmares about what he saw but she should be proud that her legacy can be extended to save Westeros."

"Varys could have done something and saved her!"

"He still considers it his biggest mistake in life." The fat man said. "But I doubt it made you feel any better."

"It does not, it only makes me angrier." Artos assured him.

"As I said, Ser Arthur, you do not need to worry. The boy will be safe just as the Queen Rhaella's children and with them the realm who will not suffer from another Mad King." Illyrio proclaimed. "You know he will make a great King, he has Rhaegar's greatest capabilities and none of his flaws, he is the perfect Prince."

"And what will happen to Daenerys Targaryen in your plans?" Said Artos.

"She will play her part, just as her brother," he informed. "As I said, they will be safe."

"I will keep the vows I swore to Lyanna Stark and Eddard Stark, but I have serious doubts this plan of yours and Varys will succeed."

"Your presence is always welcome good Ser," Illyrio said with a big grin. "You have been a great influence on Aegon and worry not because we will prove you wrong."

_I would like to see that._ "I must return to our ship, the boy and the crew should be waiting for us."

"Of course, it was a pleasure seeing you again." Artos nodded and exited Illyrio's study and found Griff waiting outside, arms crossed with his back against a wall. They began to walk out of the manse right after.

"Why were you so pessimistic?" Griff inquired. "Aegon is Rhaegar's heir, you should be happy he has a chance of claiming his father's throne."

"I have my reasons."

"Are you afraid for your sister?" Griff suggested in a question. "Lord Stark revolted justly against King Aerys, I will not deny it. His brother and father were unjustly killed and Aegon can show clemency if he bends the knee to him."

"That's not the matter Jon!" Artos barked, losing his composure.

"Then what is the matter?"

"Just forget about it." Artos dismissed. "Let's just go and meet Aegon."

"You should open yourself more Arthur," Griff said. "It didn't do good to Rhaegar to keep his thoughts for himself even if shared more with you than me. It got him killed sooner than what it should be."

"I know." Artos agreed. _But what will you think when you know the truth about this boy and of your Prince? Gods what should I do?_

**Cersei Lannister II**

Somewhere by the Kingsroad, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

"Please, mother let me go see them." Her daughter was asking to go meet those barbarians once more now that they took a stop already in the Crownlands. She was growing defiantly as the days went by, they were turning her daughter into a rebellious girl.

"No, you are staying here with me, Tommen and Joffrey." Cersei dismissed her daughter's plea. "And you will not see the Starks anymore."

"Why?" Myrcella questioned aghast.

"Because they have hurt your brother and can very well hurt you too." Cersei said.

"But they have not harmed me in any way, they have treated me with kindness!" Myrcella insisted. "I like their company and their direwolves aren't with them anymore."

The damned Dornish whore was smart and got the direwolves and the damned peasant boy away from her justice and she was angry for this audacity. "You will not go and that is the end of it!" Cersei hissed.

"But mother!" Her daughter protested more.

"Play with Tommen, he is your brother and speak no more of it." Cersei was not liking the current situation of things. The Starks were ensnaring everything…Myrcella was clearly taken by them, Tommen was walking in the same direction and Robert, of course, listens to what them Starks have to say more than he does her or their children which was a ridiculous notion to her.

Her poor Joffrey, her last hope besides Jaime, bled and bitten by those monstrosities of animals and what he got was scolding from his craven father…This weakened their power and by a lot for it made the world see that they are weak as no Stark was punished, nor the direwolves nor the butcher's boy nor anything and this was making her mad.

Perhaps it would be better for her to simply get disposed of Robert, making him die of something and cut the disease before it could spread…The only problem was that it was too soon, especially when she lost a fight with the Starks…Robert still looks as healthy as a giant fat man can be and so anyone would suspect poison and that could lead to her…no she needed another way…another option…

Thinking about poison made her remember Jon Arryn…the fool was up to something but someone took him out before he could reveal whatever he was searching for…but the question wasn't really what that old fart had been looking for but rather who killed him…Jaime wouldn't do it, of course, he is an honorable fool like Robert in this matter…father had no reason to either…the little monster wouldn't do it…so who could it have been? If such person was still at bay then they are a threat to her and her children but she also fears what Stannis might have known as much as Jon Arryn…For some reason, she felt that Eddard Stark would suggest that Baratheon fool as the next Hand…things weren't looking too well and she needed to fix that and the sooner the better.

She decided to think who was on her side and who she could count on. Jaime was the only person whom she fully trusted, then there was her family and most importantly her father. Ser Boros and Ser Meryn were her pawns, Ser Preston was a Westerman so more prone to be influenced by her especially with some incentives…the rest of the Kingsguard will do as the King says…she had some spies to count with, Pycelle was her father's creature and likely hers as well, Littlefinger is likely an asset as well but she was outnumbered in the Small Council which wasn't good…

Therefore she concluded that half of the Kingsguard was on her side and she could not count on the Small Council…

Joffrey was seated alone in the grass, Clegane in a considerable distance from him and she approached her son. "Joff." she called.

"I want them punished mother!" Her son said bitterly. "I want them all punished for this insult!"

"And they will be my love," she said as she brought her son for a hug. "No one dares to defy our family and the Starks will know of it soon enough." _I will make sure the prophecy doesn't occur as well. I will remain the Queen and my children will get the throne when that fat oaf dies and no one will stop that, not even the Starks._

**Cassana Baratheon IV**

King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

It was dawning soon and the captain of the ship said they were going to moor in ten minutes or so. Cass could not sleep at all with the excitement of being mostly alone in the capital…it was a bold decision on her part but she would not falter so close to her goal, finding her much needed answers.

Jaehon, on the other hand, was sleeping like a baby in his cabin as he always slept till midday or later if left to himself, so she decided to go wake him up so he could get ready to land.

She came to his door and knocked on it. "Jaehon!" she called. "We are mooring soon!" Since she heard no reply nor noise she got worried and sought if the door was open which it was and so she opened it and entered, quickly seeing if he was alright.

It was dark inside with not much light but the candle she had at hand, there stood Jaehon laid in bed, sleeping as if she wasn't calling him…but he seemed odd.

"Laena…" she heard him whisper. "Laena…I'm going to save you…they will not kill you…" _Who was Laena?_ "They will not rape you…I won't let them…no…don't…NO!" Jaehon then woke up abruptly, panting and sweating and with his shout and sudden move, she jumped frighten as she wasn't expecting this. "Cass?" he squealed as he panted and sweated. "What are you doing here?"

She tried to compose herself from the fright but as she did, she noticed he was not wearing a shirt nor anything to cover himself, and his muscles were all sweaty…Luckily the sheets were covering his privates but it was enough to make her blush with the sight…And she was surprised since she never blushed like this before…perhaps it had to do with her being a woman now, after all, she had her first flowering a year ago but still…

"I…I called you but you did not answer so I got worried something bad might have happened to you…" she explained while regaining her composure and trying to avert her gaze from him.

"I'm fine," he said. "It seems it was just a dream…"

"Who is Laena?" she inquired confused as to who was this Laena he thought about in his dreams.

"Are we mooring?" he asked, trying to change the subject of the talk, clearly not wanting to talk about this Laena.

"I asked you a question." she insisted.

"And I believe I already gave you my answer."

"Fine!" she sighed as it seems she was back at square one… "If you wish to play this game once more, we will play it. And yes, we are indeed mooring in about ten minutes or so."

"Then I better get dressed." he concluded as he rubbed his eyes.

"Yes."

"Aren't you supposed to leave the room? Wait…are you blushing?" _By the Seven…what is happening to me?_

"Gods no, I'm not…I'm not…" she said as she quickly left the room, panting and likely blushing even more…_What is happening to me…this is not me…this is not Cassana Baratheon…_

It took some time but finally, she was calm. She was waiting outside of his cabin for a few minutes, still ashamed of her behavior when Jaehon finally emerged, fully dressed and yawning. "Hello again." he said.

"Nothing happened there in your cabin okay?" she quickly said.

"I saw nothing, heard nothing, and said nothing." he assured.

"Good, let us go…"

It took a minute or so more before they could finally step on the capital's soil and so they rented two horses at a nearby inn and rode to the Red Keep in them. No matter how many times she visited King's Landing, the huge crowds of people always fascinated her…

The road to the Red Keep was rather short, they arrived as dawn did. The Gold Cloaks made them stop their pace, just as in the last time she visited with her mother. "Who goes there?" One of them asked.

"Lady Cassana Baratheon, daughter of Lord Stannis Baratheon, the King's brother and Lady Catelyn Tully." she proclaimed. "With me comes Jaehon Velaryon, nephew of Lord Monford Velaryon of Driftmark."

"The King is not here, Milady." The man said. "We are instructed to lead highborn people to the Small Council's chambers where they can be received by one of its members."

"I see no problem with it," she admitted. "Do make your job, thank you in advance."

Both she and Jaehon unhorsed and gave their horses to the stableboys and were led to the Small Council's chambers by six Gold Cloaks. There they were received by Lord Varys, the eunuch and Master of Whisperers.

"Ah, My Lady Cassana and My Lord Jaehon what a pleasant surprise to find you both at the capital." The man said with a pleasant smile. Father spoke often of him, as the man that knew all the secrets in King's Landing and beyond…perhaps he would know what happen with her father but…perhaps he was not trustworthy…she couldn't take any risks.

"The pleasure is our Lord Varys, thank you for receiving us with such short notice." she thanked with her own pleasant smile.

"Unfortunately your uncles have not yet arrived." The older man said. "They shouldn't take too long however My Lady, I have heard they are a couple of days away from here and I'm quite sure they will be rejoicing with your presence."

"I will be too," she confessed. "It has been a while since I last saw them."

"I will have the servants prepare two rooms for each of you." Lord Varys said. "I hope that your staying at the Red Keep is as pleasant as it can be."

"We hope so too." she said.

A while later, both she and Jaehon were being led by some female servants to their rooms. "So…what do you think Jaehon?"

"I think nothing yet," he said. "I have been here for an hour or so, it's too early to formulate an opinion, but soon enough I will tell you what I think, that is if you still wish to hear it."

"Sounds good to me…" she smiled, somehow the image of him bare-chested was still haunting her. "We will find out what happened here with my father." she proclaimed as she tried to make the image leave her. "I want to see it with my own eyes."

"I'm sure you know that it will not be the most pleasant of things."

"All the same, I must learn the good and the unpleasant Jaehon," she said. "As of now I'm my father's heir and it's likely for me to be Lady of Dragonstone when he dies and when that happens, I intend to be ready. I believe I will be able to learn a lot of things here where the vipers lurk just as my father likely did."

"That is a good way to see this whole thing…" Jaehon agreed. "Maybe your father will not punish you too much if you prove to him that you have improved yourself…"

"I know he will," she assured him. "And I will prove myself as well."

**Arianne Martell I**

Sunspear, Dorne, Year 298 AC

Arianne was eating a meal by herself, it was close to midday but she hadn't taken her breakfast mostly because in the day before she and her cousins had been drinking far too much. Nym was likely still sleeping with Fowler twins as no doubt they shared their bed in the previous night and Tyene was not a morning person either…but since it was so hot already they would eventually show their faces.

She sighed as she ate a loaf of bread with blood-orange jam on top, remembering that day almost a decade ago when she found that letter her father intended to send Quentyn…about how her brother would one day seat in their father's chair…ignoring her rights completely…

Arianne always gave her best in her lessons, she made sure she memorized everything, every house of Dorne and their feuds and some other outside of her homeland too. She made her best to learn to account numbers, she made her best to know the laws and yet father still wanted Quentyn as his heir…not heir…

"Why the sad face, my beautiful niece?" Her uncle Oberyn asked with a big grin as he took a seat in front of her.

"I'm still tired, nuncle." she replied as she found better to leave the real reason why she was sad hidden.

"You and my girls exaggerated a bit yesterday have you not?" he asked amused. "Cousin Manfrey said you all looked a bit too much joyful…"

"Perhaps…" she agreed smirking. "But you seem quite happy yourself nuncle…is Ellaria pregnant once more?" In reality, she loved all her cousins and the younger ones were especially adorable so another little snake wouldn't hurt too much…

"I wish she was but I'm afraid it was not the case," he said. "I have gotten some interesting news coming from the capital."

"News from the capital?" she asked surprised.

"Indeed, it seems Robert Baratheon choose his friend Eddard Stark to be Hand of the King." he explained.

"Another Usurper's dog…as expected." she scoffed bitterly, remembering her aunt Elia's cruel death and of her other cousins too.

"But this one has a thing that can be interesting for us, my beautiful niece," Uncle said. "Eddard Stark's wife is Ashara Dayne."

_Ashara Dayne?_ "Wasn't Lady Ashara, aunt Elia's best friend?" Arianne inquired as she remembered what her uncle told her so many times in the stories about aunt Elia.

"She was and still is I'm sure." Her uncle stated. "One does not simply forget a best friend, especially one like Elia and I know Ashara too well to know too."

"But she is married to one of the lapdogs…"

"She is but I do believe she has a leash over her husband," he said. "And as far as the letters she sent me, neither she nor her husband were happy with Elia's murder."

"So you think you can get to the Mountain through them?" she asked curiously.

"I will see what I can do." Her uncle said with a smirk. "I do wish to see my friend in person once more, I have missed her beauty and want to see if she grew into ice." he broke into laughter as he said this. "And I miss the smell of shit from that ugly city."

So her uncle was visiting the capital…she felt sad for she had to remain and organize parties and other useless nonsense… "I wish you luck, nuncle."

His face got more serious as he sounded amazed by her statement. "You don't wish to come?"

"Father wouldn't want me to…"

"Ah worry not about him." Her uncle dismissed. "You have been unhappy for a while now and I think a little trip to the worst smelling city might cheer you up a bit." Said her uncle. "We should bring my oldest daughters as well if they wish to travel with us."

"Oh uncle, do you mean so?" she was still apprehensive for it sounded too good to be true…

"Is that even a question Arianne?" he asked faking an expression of hurt. "As long as you and my beautiful daughters listen to me and Ellaria, I'm sure everything will be fine."

"We will be good girls, nuncle," she said as she embraced her uncle tightly. "Thank you, you are the best."

"I know, but you don't have to spoil me so…" he said laughing and she followed his suit. "Now go on and tell your older cousins about this trip."

"Right away." she nodded as she went straight to Tyene's room. _Oh, she is going to love this!_

* * *

**Okay so, first of all, I struggled too much with this chapter and I don't know why...but anyway it's here. Bear in mind that some explanations are my interpretation of things like why did Varys and Illyrio married Daenerys away and so forth**.

**Now to what everyone is waiting for...I decided to declare Val the winner as she got more votes in the first round and doesn't seem like it will change if I make a second round. I'm deeply sorry for all those Jon/Margaery fans and everyone who didn't vote in Val. Please if you have to criticize, be polite about it, don't curse.**

**Without further ado, thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	9. Uncle's Favorite Niece

++x++

**Arya Stark I**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

Her brother fell flat-faced on the floor yet again and so punched the ground bitterly. "Can we stop it now?" he asked. "We have been here for hours…"

"No, I have to keep practicing." Arya insisted. She would never allow anyone to come as close as to take her life as that stupid Prince was. She had the blood of the Starks of old, the Daynes and of Nymeria she couldn't let herself be bested nor be afraid as she was. "I must get better!"

"But I'm tired, Arya." Bran scoffed as he stood up. "I want to eat something!"

"If we were reading you wouldn't complain would you?"

"I would. I'm hungry and tired from the voyage!" Her older brother insisted. "Please let me go."

"No!"

"Arya!" she heard Ros call and when she looked towards her, Arya noticed that Ros' arms were crossed and she had an annoyed expression was carved in her face. "Call it a day."

"But…"

"No buts, young woman." Ros plainly said. "You are being selfish and unfair with your brother. If you keep this up, I will forbid you from practicing swordplay the rest of the month if not for longer."

"But Ros!" she tried to counter as she did not wish to lose the right to train, she needed to train…couldn't Ros see it?

"No excuses Arya." The older woman insisted. "I understand how you feel but you are abusing your brother's goodwill and that I cannot allow."

She sighed bitterly. "Fine, you can go and eat Bran…"

"Finally!" Her brother proclaimed. "Thank you for saving me, Ros." And then he quickly tried to leave the courtyard. _Stupid…_

"You are welcome." Ros smiled a pretty smiled as she approached Arya and brought her closer. "I know you are angry that the Prince almost killed you Arya, and believe I am angry too, with him and with me for I should have been watching you closely and failed in my job so you have my apologies."

"It wasn't your fault…" Arya said, feeling sad Ros felt this way when it was more of Arya's fault for hiding from her and mother…

"All the same…if you died…I would have been crushed…" Ros admitted with what looked like tears coming to her beautiful greyish-blue eyes. "I love you all as if we were kin, as if we were siblings or cousins."

Arya's eyes were also becoming wetter it seemed. "I love you too Ros…you are family to me."

A smiled drew itself on Ros' face. "Thank you, Arya, those words mean a lot to me, my sweet," she said. "But I must tell you that training like this will not help you one bit.

"Then how can I become better if I don't train?" she asked confused.

"You won't."

"Then you are proving my point!" Arya said.

"But I'm not invalidating mine." Ros smirked as she passed her arm through her eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"You will find soon enough, my dear," Ros assured as she patted Arya's back. "But right now, you shall not hear anything from this woman's mouth."

"Indeed you will not…" It was mother who spoke now. "Someone is letting some things that should be kept hidden be brought forward…" Mother said as she eyed Ros with narrow eyes but with a smile.

"Looks like I got myself in some trouble…" Ros said with a troublemaker's face. "Oh well…I better go and eat…"

"Yes…you better go…you naughty one." Mother said as he Ros quicken away from them. "And you too my lovely daughter, dinner is waiting for you."

"Is father joining us?" she inquired.

"He is. He arrived a few minutes ago and he is looking forward to having dinner with his well-behaved children." Mother said.

"I will behave well." Arya avowed.

"I know you will, now let's fill our stomachs." Mother said as she led her forward into the Tower of the Hand. "And know that your mother loves you and will not let any harm come to you."

Arya glanced her and saw her mother smiling at her. "I love you too, mother."

**Cassana Baratheon V**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

"Cass!" she heard her uncle Robert shout as soon as he saw her. She and Jaehon were finishing their dinner in the Maidenvault where they took residence ever since they arrived. "My beautiful niece!"

She got up and happily embraced her uncle Robert. "Nuncle, it's good to see you."

"You too! Gods you look like a woman already, a beautiful one as well." Her uncle said as he eyed from up and down. "It's hard to think you came from Stannis' seed but then again you are Lady Catelyn's daughter."

"Nuncle!" she hissed bitterly. She loved him dearly but she would not forgive him for insulting her father. "Don't say such things about my father, I do not like it!"

"Sorry…" Her uncle said with a more grim expression. "I meant those words I said about you…you look beautiful."

She smiled even though she didn't see herself as that beautiful at all. "I'm not that pretty. I'm just a regular looking woman."

"Your uncle Robert is right, Cass." Uncle Renly said with the same smile as his brother. "You will make a lot of women envy here, you are truly a beauty. And to think that my brother kept you in that moisty hell for what? Five years?"

"It's not that bad of a place to live…I do admit that the frequent rains are troublesome…" she said. "And it's good to see you too, uncle Renly." she proclaimed while she embraced her other uncle whom she loved dearly too. "And yes, it has been five years since I visited Storm's End."

"You should pass by sometime." Her uncle suggested. "I'm quite sure the people there will be delighted to see Cass the Mighty fighting evil monsters in the halls of our ancestral home once more."

"Nuncle!" she barked as she began blushing upon being remembered of the nickname she gave to herself when she was younger to find evildoers in Storm's End and Dragonstone and whatever place she visited…now it was quite embarrassing to remember even if she held dear those memories.

Her uncle Robert broke into laughter as well. "Ah, Cass the Mighty…I still remember that one."

"You both are the worse…" she muttered as she glanced her cousins Myrcella and Tommen by the door still, looking at her warily. Last time she saw them, Myrcella had been a year old girl and Tommen a newborn child, so it was quite normal for them to not recognize her at all. "Hello there fellow cousins." she said with a warm smile in hopes to make them less afraid as she moved towards them.

"Hello, cousin Cassana," Myrcella said with a smile of her own, seemingly less afraid now. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"Hello…" Tommen wasn't so confident yet but it would pass she was sure.

"You two were barely more than babes when I saw you for the first time…now you are handsome young lads!" she proclaimed. "It's nice to finally meet you both."

Both of her cousins smiled and embraced her for a hug. "Where is Joffrey?" Her uncle asked with an angered face.

"He said he felt indisposed, father." Little Tommen said a bit frightened. "Mother said he should rest and meet cousin Cassana some other time."

She was now remembering that little devil of a cousin she had who because she defeated him in a child fight last time she was there, decided that he had to humiliate her by calling her ugly and more mean names in front of the lords who were a bunch of cunts and laughed at her…She was not looking forward to meeting him and she was glad he wasn't either.

"Indisposed…" Her uncle said with disdain. "He better be, damn kid, is only good to torment and kill poor animals…"

"And get his arse kicked by a skinny little girl…" Her uncle Renly whispered to her so that only she could hear and she looked towards him abashed.

"What?"

"I will tell you some other time Cass." he whispered back as her uncle Robert moved to stand in front of Jaehon who had stood up as soon as the King entered the room.

"And who might you be?"

"Jaehon Velaryon, Your Grace."

"Velaryon…" Her uncle looked towards her friend with a certain disdain.

"He is my friend and sworn shield, nuncle." Cass intervened with half a lie. "He came with me to provide me company."

"Did he?" Her uncle said while glancing Jaehon with a raised eyebrow. Her friend in turn never said a word and stared with an expressionless face. "I hope…he isn't what I'm thinking is he…"

At first, she wondered what he meant but then when she saw Jaehon turning redder she understood what he meant. "Nuncle!" she hissed with embarrassment. "We aren't lovers!"

"Thank the Gods you are not. I fear to think what my good brother Stannis would do to this lad…" Uncle Renly remarked as he laughed. "Poor lad would find himself gelded."

"Nuncle!"

"All the same." Uncle Robert spoke. "I will keep my watch on you Velaryon. Don't you even try and betray my niece for some Targaryens."

"I would kill myself before that could happen, Your Grace," Jaehon said. "I don't betray friends, the Targaryens are not my friends, unlike your niece."

Her uncle glanced him from up and down and then frowned. "You should have joined us at dinner, Cass."

"I'm quite well here." she dismissed his invention. "I prefer less crowded areas."

"All the same, I expect you at my table tomorrow. You and the Starks too," he said. "Now I will let you and your…friend eat at peace. Come on, children."

"Can I spend time together with the Starks tomorrow?" Little Myrcella asked as they retired. "Mother doesn't let me..."

"Sure, go on." Her uncle proclaimed. "Don't know what goes into your mother's mind to refuse such a normal thing."

"Thank you, father." And with that, they were out of Cassana's view.

Cassana took a seat again and eyed Jaehon. "I apologize for my uncles' behavior, it wasn't proper."

"It's perfectly understandable that they are wary of me." Jaehon dismissed.

"That too, but mostly about us being lovers…" she blushed. "It was ill done…"

"Well…your uncle Renly would be quite right in regards to what your father would do to me would it be true," he said expressionlessly. "Anyway, I didn't take any of it as an offense, for it was false."

"Yes…all false…let's just eat in peace…" she concluded.

**Ashara Dayne V**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

The bathtub wasn't as large as the one Ned had built for her at Winterfell but it would definitely work for the function it was meant. As expected she was already diving in the perfectly tempered water while Ned was finishing getting undress and just about to join her.

"There we go…" Ned sighed in relief when he took a seat inside the bathtub. "I just arrived in this shitty smelling city and I'm so tired already…"

"Was it that bad?" she asked while she dried her face after emerging from underwater.

"I know I was supposed to analyze the other members of the Council as you told me to but once Renly Baratheon shared with us a parchment that had Robert's will written in it…I just lost it." Ned said.

"And what did Robert want?" she asked somehow fearing the worst…

"To organize a tourney in my name…" he murmured. "Forty thousand dragons for the winner, twenty for the second and the same amount for the winner of the melee together with another ten thousand for the best archer…"

"Ninety thousand dragons?" she asked aghast. "That is a third of Harrenhal's prizes…"

"And that is not the end of it," Ned warned. "I found out the Crown is six million dragons in debt…"

"Six million dragons?" she shouted aghast, her heart-stopping for a second with the abashment. "It is not possible!"

"It is…" Ned sighed. "Lord Baelish, the Master of Coin will have to borrow more than a hundred thousand dragons to organize this bloody foolish tourney and this is all in my name, Ash!"

It seemed things were much worse than what any of them could anticipate… "With a debt so large, there is no way you can fix the realm's troubles with just a year…you only be able to gather a sixth of it, a fifth at the very best…"

"I just wonder how it got to this…" he sighed yet again. "When the Rebellion ended, the treasury was still full even if the Mad King spent quite a lot in the army…I mean I know Robert was always a proficient spender but this…this is ridiculous…"

"And with the taxes, they collect every year from all Seven Kingdoms?" she added. "It makes no sense…I do not know the numbers but I would say the Crown would at the very least receive half a million dragons in taxes per year…"

"I don't understand this…Jon was never a great spender, he always had the coffers of the Vale full…he couldn't have allowed this madness to happen…"

Something was amiss, it had to be…but what and why? "And do you happen to know who the creditors are?" she inquired.

"Half of the debt is to the Lannisters," Ned said with disdain. "But Lord Tyrell, the Iron Bank, some Tyroshi trading cartels and even the Faith have lent money to the Crown."

"Even the Faith?" This was ridiculous now…and it seemed that the dependence of the Crown towards the Lannisters was larger than what she had anticipated…they had Robert in their pockets… "The variety of sources of credit assures that the Crown is not fully dependent on a single entity, however, it's two Great Lords that know of the Crown's weak coffers and they happen to be the strongest and the second strongest…"

"Indeed…" Her husband agreed. "I told the other councilors I would try my best to convince Robert into giving up on the idea of this tourney but they all seemed as if I was speaking some sort of blasphemy…perhaps I was…this is not the Robert I once knew anyway."

"Giving it a try doesn't hurt, though I must agree with them…" she confessed. "I don't think you will be able to convince Robert to forsaken this particular tourney."

"If such things were to happen, then I will not have another bloody tourney whilst I fulfill my term as Hand." Ned decided. "I won't let him spend this amount of money in my name or anything else, it's just ridiculous."

"Then do tell him so," Ashara said as she approached him and rest her head on his shoulder. "Don't hold back, you have to stand your ground as you have been doing."

"I will do my best." he said while he leaned his head to touch hers.

"And what did you see in the other councilors?" she asked. "I know you did not pay the attention you wished but still."

"Varys is still Varys." That line made her laugh.

"I think I know him and Pycelle well enough." she proclaimed. "I have seen them in action before. We can't ignore them fully but I am more interested in the others."

"Lord Stannis, the Master of Ships left for Dragonstone when Robert went to Winterfell and no one seems to know why," Ned explained. "Though it seems his daughter arrived almost a week ago with a companion."

"It does sound odd that Lord Stannis left…" she admitted. "Maybe I can have a conversation with his daughter…sometime soon…see what she can tell me…and why did she come?"

"I don't know," Ned confessed. "I have never seen the girl before, I don't know how she is nor how she acts."

"Then I guess it falls to me to find out," she told him. "It shouldn't be too hard."

"Be it as it may, I don't think Lord Stannis nor Lord Renly are a threat to Robert," Ned said. "Their relationship may not be the best but I doubt they would go against their brother."

"You ought to expect everything by now," Ashara warned him. "Expect the unexpected."

"I know," he said with his shy smile. "Lord Baelish, on the other hand, seems to be adamant in annoying me with pesky talk."

"You said the man was the Master of Coin but…who is he?" she asked curiously.

"Brandon spoke of him a few times." Ned began explaining. "And I learned a little something about his house while at the Eyrie. He is from a very recently formed house of landed knights whose origins lay in Braavos. House Baelish holds a small tower in the smallest of the fingers."

"Brandon knew him?"

"He challenged Brandon to a duel for Lady Catelyn's hand back then…you can imagine how that turned out…"

"Badly?" she asked but she sort of already knew the answer to her question.

"Indeed…it seems the man carries a scar or something of the sort still." Ned added.

"Brandon was very imposing and strong…" she admitted. "I assume Lord Baelish isn't so?"

"Baelish is smaller than you and lean, he doesn't seem threatening but does seem to have a sharp tongue," Ned explained. "A sharp tongue did not help him win against Brandon."

Sharp tongue…sharp mind… "I see…The poor man will have to borrow more money for Robert's nonsense…"

"It seems so…Gods that man never learns…" Ned sighed.

"Maybe…" she began as she picked his hand brought it to her breasts. "You and I should…forget about this nonsense for the rest of the night…it was…just the first-day …we have a full long year ahead of us…"

"I don't look forward to that as much as I look for what is coming next…" His lips met her nipples and then he began suckling them, while she of course moaned. "A whole year in the capital…" he whispered as he switched around between her nipples. "How troublesome…"

"A good thing…we have each other…" she purred.

"It would be unbearable with you for sure." he said as they lips met and stayed together for almost a full minute.

"A beautiful wife always warms a man's heart doesn't she?" she teased while she took hold of his cock and mouthed it, just the way he liked.

"You know…you know me too…well…"

Afterward, she was done with her part, she was rewarded with his marvelous tongue on her cunt…she hoped the room was soundproof…

When he found her wet enough down below, he turned her around, entered her and before he began pounding her, he gave her a massage…it was trick he developed over the years…it was enough to make her lose her focus and succumb to pleasure…This was the chance he always searched for…as he began his movement, making her scream in ecstasy…she came undone first, it was too much for her to take and he didn't resist that long either…

They both began washing each other up in between kisses and then he picked her up and laid her on their bed. "A comfortable bed at last…" she giggled.

"Indeed." he smiled as he pressed another kiss onto her lips. "But I can't help but feel a bit uncomfortable…this was where Jon slept…"

"And Tywin Lannister…" she murmured and laughed with the disdained face of her husband and lover.

"Now I'm really uncomfortable…"

"I would say this bed is still capable of enduring us…" she whispered. "Not sure about the room being able to hold my moans…"

"You will know tomorrow…" he said laughing. "I would like to see if I can sleep…I must resume the meeting of the Small Council in the morrow…"

"I was planning to visit Sunshine Orphanage with the girls…see how things are…I imagine not well enough since we all left…" she was talking of her, Elia and the other ladies-in-waiting. Ashara kept sending money from Winterfell but it wasn't as much as it once was…she hoped it was still standing and doing what it once did. "It will do well for the girls to see how lucky they are in life and hopefully make them more humble and charitable."

"Indeed…" he agreed though she saw he was still worried about something.

"What else is troubling you, my love?" she inquired as she rested her chin on his chest.

"When I saw Varys…I thought about my nephew once again…" he was speaking of Lyanna's son who her brother Arthur took with him to Essos in order to protect him from Robert and the Lannisters… "I wonder how he is…how he has been for the past fifteen years…"

"He is with Arthur and though my brother doesn't carry Dawn with him anymore, he is still deadly with a regular sword at hand," she assured. "You don't need to be worried."

"It's just that she made me promise I would protect the boy and I have done almost nothing…" he sighed. "I wish I could have given him a proper childhood together with our children…but Robert would kill the child once he got word of him…a boy with Rhaegar's coloring…it was impossible…and after what happened with Elia and her children…"

"Lyanna's boy is safe Ned," she assured him with a kiss. "Arthur will protect him and you know it, and I know Lyanna holds no grudge against you, she loved you dearly and would understand the arrangement you made with the Spider."

"Perhaps…" he sighed yet again.

"Now you must sleep my dear husband, tomorrow is a big day." she kissed his forehead and left his embrace to lay properly on the bed.

He stood up and pressed his lips on her forehead as well. "You too My Shining Star."

And they fell asleep…tired of the long journey and the thought of the hard year they would have to face…

* * *

**First I would like to thank everyone for the reviews. I would like to answer a few:**

**DodemGM: You don't have to like Young Griff, but if you feel like you can stand it, then I won't hold a grudge against you if decide to leave.**

**Giang385: This not the sequel of A Wolf That Met A Star, this a totally different work that shares some plot points with that story but it's a completely different thing. The sequel will come soon.**

**Without further ado, I thank everyone who spent time reading and I hope you all a good day.**


	10. Potential

++x++

**Myrcella Baratheon II**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

Myrcella had never seen such a lively breakfast as this one…father and uncle Renly were all merrily as they teased cousin Cassana with episodes from her childhood. Mother and Joffrey did not look too pleased with it all, Tommen was a bit overwhelmed with father and uncle's laughter but smiled on the funnier episodes while Myrcella was feeling the same along with a big feeling of curiosity.

"Ah, and there was that time she ran from the Septa," Father said laughing. "Neither the woman nor Lady Catelyn could catch Cass the Mighty as she ran through the halls of the Red Keep like that bloody black tomcat who stole a roast quail from Lord Tywin…Oh Gods now I'm remembering that…"

Uncle Renly was laughing too and cousin Cassana was smiling. "It was fun while it lasted, nuncle," Cassana said. "My mother did not allow me leave my room except during meals for six entire months."

"Bah you were just having fun, I don't see why she had to reprimand you so heavily," Father said. "Seriously that woman is perfect for Stannis."

"What is done is done, nuncle." Cousin Cassana said. "I'm not in the mood to run through the halls again like a little devil anyway…"

"Father," Myrcella called, making them all look towards her. "I have finished my breakfast may I be excused? I wish to go meet the Starks."

"Sure." Father agreed and she was already standing up when trouble came…

"Myrcella I have told you to not meet the Starks." Mother said in a commanding tone. "Septa Eglantine will be called sooner so…"

"Why can't she go meet the Starks woman?" Father asked, an indignant look on his face.

"She has her lessons with the Septa, she…"

"The Others take the Septa!" Father barked. "The girl knows her bloody prayers already. Let the girl have some fun with children of her age."

Mother's eyes narrowed, she didn't like this. "The education of our children is in my hands." she proclaimed. "Therefore I know what is best for her…"

"What a wonderful education you have provided them, they have no bloody friends nor companions," Father muttered. "When I was their age I had half a dozen good friends already. By the time I was Joffrey's age I had thrice as many and I wasn't killing cats or attacking little children with the intent to kill them for no bloody reason!"

"How dare you speak such filth to your son!" Mother hissed. "They attacked him!"

"QUIET WOMAN!" Father roared and Myrcella shook frighten. "I'm their father, and I have a bloody saying in their education as well. I say Myrcella and Tommen will be spending their days with the Starks to gain some bloody friends if they so wish, that's the end of it!"

Mother kept glancing father until she contained her anger and resumed her breakfast. She was not happy with the arrangement but Myrcella was, she wished to spend time with Ros, Elianna, Jeyne, Lady Stark and Arya of course and she was sure Tommen would like to spend some time with Brandon Stark who by Tommen's accounts had a vast knowledge from books.

"May I join you both?" Cousin Cassana inquired with a smile. "I wish to get to know you both better while I'm here and I can certainly take this opportunity to meet the Starks of Winterfell."

"Sure," Myrcella said. "You will like the Starks I'm sure, cousin."

"Have you started the tourney preparations?" Father asked uncle Renly, while Myrcella and cousin Cassana waited for Tommen to finish his breakfast.

"Lord Stark wasn't pleased to hear about it. I believe he wished to speak to you about it." Uncle Renly said as he led a cup of water to his mouth.

"Gods that grim fool…no doubt he wishes me to cancel it." Father spoke.

"You two resolve the issue amongst yourself. I'm already thinking of ways to set it up." Uncle said. "Anyway, I have a council meeting to attend soon, so rest of good day to you all." And with a smile and nod to all of them, he left the room.

Myrcella glanced her younger brother once more, she was worried that mother would somehow convince father to change his resolve…luckily Tommen had just finished his food. "I'm ready." he said.

"Let us go then." Myrcella commanded excitedly. They exited the Throne Room followed by Ser Arys Oakheart, her sworn shield and Ser Preston Greenfield who was her brother's. They also found cousin Cassana's friend, Jaehon she believed, arms crossed and back against the wall of the building.

"Jaehon." Her cousin called with a smile. "I hope you didn't wait too long for us…"

"I'm fine Cass." The man said with a shy smile. "Good morning My Prince and Princess."

"Good morning My Lord." Both she and her brother replied as courtesy demanded.

"Sers." The Valyrian knight nodded to the Kingsguards knights but they merely acknowledge him.

"Jaehon we are going to meet the Starks." Cousin Cassana informed him. "Feel free to join us."

"I don't wish to abuse my hospitality…"

"Don't be like that!" Her cousin said whilst clapping her friend's shoulder. "We are inviting you so there no abuse in hospitality."

"But are the Starks aware of this? It's their hospitality we are breeching on…"

"Come on you dummy," Cassana said as she grabbed his arm. "Let's not make my cousins wait any longer."

They came by the Tower of the Hand and found two wheelhouses outside with quite a few guards there as well. The Stark children were outside, seated on some benches with Ros, waiting.

"Hello everyone." Myrcella called.

"My Princess, My Prince it's so good to see you," Ros said with a warm smile as she got up and so did the rest of the Starks. "And My Lady and My Lord too, I'm Ros, a companion to the children."

"Cassana Baratheon and this is my friend Jaehon Velaryon." Cassana introduced.

"A pleasure to meet you all." The woman said with a nod.

"The pleasure is ours, goodwoman." Cousin Cassana said.

"Are you going somewhere?" Myrcella asked with the sight of the wheelhouses arouse her curiosity.

"We are," Elianna said. "Mother wishes to visit an orphanage she helped when she was lady-in-waiting to Princess Elia."

"Indeed," Ros admitted. "We were not expecting none of you wonderful people's company today so we had this visit arranged."

"I think visiting an orphanage may prove itself a good and worthy experience," Cassana said. "What do you say, cousins? Shall we join in?"

Myrcella gave it some thought and to be frank she never interacted with common people besides her Septa and Ros and even if the Septa was a strict woman, she was nice and Ros was definitely nice so… "If I'm allowed to join you, I shall."

"I'm sure Milady will like it." Ros smiled.

"Like what?" Lady Stark inquired as she and her lord husband exited the Tower of the Hand. She with a bright smile and he with a grim face.

"Princess Myrcella and Lady Cassana Baratheon wish to join us on our little trip," Ros explained to her liege lady. "I'm not sure about Prince Tommen but since Bran wishes to stay it might be better if stays playing with him."

"Oh, that is wonderful." The kind lady said. "We will be happy to have you with us."

"Well, I'm leaving." Lord Stark said. "Have a nice day." he said while he kissed his wife on her lips and Myrcella found it exquisite for the Stark couple seemed to be the complete opposite of her parents…

"Good luck with the meeting, My Lord." Lady Stark said with courtesy. "Jory, could you be a dear and watch Prince Tommen as well? I'm sure his sworn shield is enough protection but our boy needs to be as well."

"Of course My Lady." Jory nodded.

"Fantastic. Bran, you can show him the books you have not shown yet." Lady Stark suggested.

"Sure, come on My Prince." Brandon Stark called her brother and Tommen followed him happily. "I have a book about the Storm Kings of old you may be interested in."

"Yes, I am."

"Now, my girls." Lady Stark called. "Arya, you and the Princess can join the main wheelhouse with Ros, Elianna, and Jeyne while I will go in the smaller one with Lady Cassana. That is if there isn't any problem with you Lady Cassana."

"No there is no problem Lady Stark," Cassana assured. "I look forward to it."

"Great then let's get ourselves going." Lady Stark proclaimed. "Hullen, Harwin do go on."

**Cassana Baratheon VI**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

"So…how are you today Lady Cassana?" Lady Stark inquired with a warm smile. Her eyes were so beautiful…violet and haunting…

"Quite fine, My Lady." she managed to reply.

"That is good…" The Dornish lady said as she glanced the window of the wheelhouse. "You must be wondering why I asked for you to come in this wheelhouse with me."

"I actually am, My Lady," she confessed. "There is room for another person here such as my cousin or one of your younger daughters."

"Indeed…" The Lady said. "But I wished to speak privately with you."

Privately? "About what My Lady?"

"As you know, my husband is now the Hand of the King and he has been rather confused as to why Lord Stannis, you father has left from Dragonstone without as much as a say so." Lady Stark inquired.

"Well, My Lady, I do not know," Cassana admitted. "In fact I came here to see if I could find a clue on my own for my father refused to tell me anything."

"So you came to the capital to find out why your father returned to his seat?"

"Yes."

"That is an interesting goal…thank you for being honest with me." The woman said. "But did it occur to you that perhaps your father ran away?"

"From what?" Cassana asked. Her father was no coward to run away…

"From King's Landing's vipers perhaps?" The Dornishwoman elaborated. "There are quite a few of them here."

"From the vipers? I doubt it." she countered. "My father was made Master of Ships fifteen years ago and he served to the best of his abilities and never once did he abandon his position."

"So you and I can conclude that something made him feel threatened otherwise he would not abandon his position." Lady Stark said. "My husband told me your father held Storm's End for a full year against the might of the Reach, took Dragonstone and defeated Victarion Greyjoy in a naval battle…so it does seem like a weird behavior."

"I can't refute such statement." Cassana admitted.

"So tell me Lady Cassana what do you think of Lord Arryn's death?"

Lord Arryn's death? Why was she asking about it? Cassana gave it some thought on the subject, struggling with it for a while as the Dornishwoman looked at her expressionless…the woman must have some theory about Lord Arryn's death that likely contradicted the official cause of death. It had to be since she was asking…then it came to her, Lord Arryn died, uncle Robert went North to fetch Lady Stark's husband to be Hand and her father returned to Dragonstone in the time uncle Robert was away…

"My father returned after his death…" Cassana whispered. "So…for him to return after his death…then he must have thought that Lord Arryn was killed and he would be next…"

Lady Stark smiled after she spoke. "Interesting theory…it makes sense as well…" Then she leaned forward. "And how do you think Lord Arryn was killed?"

_Interesting question…_ "Well…if my father believes he was killed and everyone else thinks he died a natural death then…it must have been poison…" Then it all became clear to her. "Someone poisoned Lord Arryn and my father thought he would be next! Oh by the Seven…"

"You clearly have a sharp mind and yet it seems you are oblivious…" Lady Stark said.

"Pardon me?" she asked confused.

"You have a mind that makes theorize things from simple and hidden clues, but you also came to the capital with nothing but a sworn shield of sorts…" Lady Stark elaborated. "Do you realize the danger you have placed yourself in?"

"I know how to defend myself and so does Jaehon." she barked.

"No doubt you can, my dear but take a look at what your father did, he left because he felt he could be poisoned and yet do you even have the same fear?"

"No…"

"You are a sweet summer child, my dear." Lady Stark smiled. "I was once the same way as you and my daughters are still like you as well."

"Then how do I stop myself from being a summer child?" Cassana inquired. "If you find me naïve, then I must not be. My father is not naïve and so if I'm to succeed him, I mustn't be either."

"You only stop being a summer child when winter bites you." The Lady explained in a riddle. "In other words, you stop being naïve and oblivious when reality comes for you." Lady Stark elaborated. "The world is not a song and you are smart girl to know I'm right. I was a summer child once, when I came to this city for the first time, at sixteen of age, I had had some slaps from reality before and here Gods be good I had so many…" _Slaps of reality?_

The woman continued. "Most women are educated to be simpletons and do what they are told by their husbands without a question raised but I'm not like that. I have a mind of my own, who makes thoughts of her own and I can differentiate what is proper and not. That is why I take the time to educate my daughters on how reality works. Just womanly arts doesn't work because once they marry they will have to survive on their own, they can get a good husband, which by the Gods I hope they get, or a bad husband and they have to be prepared for both."

Cass saw how right Lady Stark was…her mother and Septa Mordane for how good they were, wanted her as a simpleton but she was not a simpleton…she was her own person, she had a will of her own, she had a mind to think. That was why Lady Stark intrigued her…for some reason, she felt that she could benefit from the woman's teachings…her vision of reality so was much like Cass's…

"Lady Stark…if you are teaching your children on being more than summer children…would it be possible for you to teach me too? I'm a quick learner, I assure you I will not disappoint you…"

"How wonderful, I was about to ask you if you were interested in some of my so boring lessons but it seems you were." The woman said giggling. "I will gladly teach you some life lessons, I see potential in you."

"My Lady does?"

"You met Ros, my children's companion did you not?" Lady Stark asked. "I met her when she was a child of seven, a daughter of a whore at Wintertown, I saw her potential when she had learned to read and count by herself, she was a fighter who wished to do more for herself so I took her as my apprentice. People look at her and see a simple servant, but underneath it, there is a cunning woman and I think I might just be able to make you a better Lady of Dragonstone too with all due respect your educators so deserved for making you what you are now."

"My mother would never regard a common woman, especially a daughter of a whore in such high esteem…" Cassana confessed upon learning more about Ros.

"And what do you make of it?" Lady Stark asked.

"I think that someone's merit should not be judged by one's status," Cassana replied. "My father knighted a smuggler who saved Storm's End's garrison from starvation and has a lot of respect for the man still. He told me once, after my mother and my Septa ranted me for playing with some common children that he would not condemn me for as long as I was surrounded myself with competent people and not useless fools so I see no mind with your apprentice Lady Stark. To me she seems like a competent person that my father, would surround himself with." she doubted he would since he…was uncomfortable around women but he definitely would approve the woman as companion to Cassana.

"I think your father is a peculiar man then, Lady Cassana. Not many people are in the same line of thought as him…" Lady Stark said. "It seems he has done quite a lot already…you will not be starting from zero…"

"Please call me Cassana or Cass, My Lady. You are older than me and it feels weird for someone who is to become my teacher to call me Lady…" Cassana begged.

Lady Stark began laughing with it. "I will be sure to keep that in my mind, Cassana. Now we must begin your training with a visit to the orphanage. First lesson, the more friends and allies you have the better. A Lady benefits from having friends from all over the social hierarchy for they offer different perspectives of things and different solutions to problems that arise."

"Understood."

"But importantly, try to have some fun while you are at it." The laid said while clapping her knee.

"I will My Lady." This was going to make her a better person she was sure.

**Ashara Dayne VI**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

_Cassana Baratheon…_What an interesting woman in the making Ashara found…Upon seeing the girl for the first time she saw a huge potential in her as she did with Ros and Elianna. She was quite glad that the girl was keen on learning some of Ashara's lessons. Lord Stannis had done quite a lot already if the words of the young lady were true but she might make this girl even better.

And from this fine young lady, she also learned that her theory about Lord Arryn being poisoned was most likely true but…who did the deed? The Lannisters? The Iron Bank? The Tyrells? Who would benefit the most from his death…perhaps if she were to find out what Lord Arryn and Lord Stannis were searching for she might have clue but the danger level has also grown exponentially…

Ashara, Ros and the children stood by Sunshine Orphanage's door…the building was somewhat degrading but it was much better than before she, Elia and the rest of the ladies-in-waiting took hold of it.

Then she knocked on the door and was surprised by the woman who opened the door, the woman's mouth opened and then Ashara felt a warm hug around herself. "Milady…"

The crooked teeth and the beautiful blue eyes gave her away. "Clarisse, look at you! A woman already! Seven hells you must be twenty-one right?"

"A moon away I believe, Milady." The woman said with a smile but there were tears in her eyes as well. "Oh, Milady we have missed you so…"

"Don't cry, Clarisse." Ashara hugged the now woman tightly. "I have brought quite a few people today, to cheer everyone here, so let us in."

"Of course Milady, do come on in."

She was surprised with all the rather familiar faces, considering that fifteen years passed…Cletus, Melissa, Edwin, Alysanne the Small that was taller than Ashara by now and so many others…old orphans trying to make a better life for the newer ones…

While the children were playing and chatting with the newer orphans, Ashara was taking a sip of tea in the large kitchen area with Clarisse, Alysanne the Small, and Mismatched Bryan. "It warms my heart to know it's still standing…" Ashara confessed. "Elia would be proud…"

"The Lannisters brought so much destruction and grief to the capital…" Alysanne said deeply sad. "They destroyed part of the building and raped some of us…Jenny and Mariah became pregnant afterward and Sadie almost died from wounds…their butchery would have been bigger if some Valemen knights did not arrive and stop them by the time Lord Stark, your husband arrived in the capital…"

"I'm deeply sorry for what happened here…had I known…" Ashara was deeply said that the Lannister did such thing to her dear friends…

"Milady wouldn't be able to do anything." Mismatched Bryan said, called like that for the mismatched eyes. "We rose from almost ashes and we stand proudly once more. Some of us rose and opened their own businesses, others looked for new opportunities but we still stand proudly and that is what matters."

"I will see if I can increase the money I sent you every three moons, though I'm afraid from this year I will not be able to send any as my husband was made Hand of the King…maybe I can think of something else…"

"Milady we are deeply thankful for the money you, Lady Jasline and Lady Emyly send us," Clarisse spoke. "It is enough to keep us standing…"

"All the same, I don't like the situation we currently find ourselves in regard to the orphanage, I'm sure I will come out with a good solution for the problem."

"If it makes Milady rest better at night, though we must insist we are well." Alysanne tried to assure but Ashara was already contemplating solutions. "By the way, some of our friends work at the Red Keep still. They will be happy to see you once again Milady and perhaps provide you with interesting information."

"That can be useful my dears…I'm afraid we are times of peril…people are being poisoned…"

"Gods…" Clarisse interjected.

"You highborn are mostly fools…killing each other for stupid reasons…" Mismatched Byran sighed. "Sometimes I thank the Seven for making me a commoner…"

Ashara laughed with the comment and couldn't find a more true statement about highborn people… "In a few moons, it's likely that there shall be a tourney in my husband's honor though he doesn't like to have his name branding a useless thing…I will make sure the leftovers are brought here." Ashara assured as she saw Arya playing with some orphans boys and girls. "That way there is no need for you all to spend much in feeding these little ones."

"That will be appreciated Milady," Alysanne confessed. "We are truly thankful for your wonderful visit and the Seven may continue blessing you with such wonderful children." Perhaps the pack may increase soon…if her distemper this morning was something to go by…

"Thank you so much my dears, I'm glad you are alright. My conscience has been heavy this past fifteen years…"

"And ours has been as well, Milady but Lord Stark seems like a good husband." Clarisse said.

"He is a sweet little wolf…my wolf…" she said murmured and they all laughed.

The hours went on and they had fun in the orphanage, they were now returning to the wheelhouses the same way as before. The girls were all tired, including Ros…a tiring day is a well-spent day.

* * *

**First I must apologize for failing to update on the past Friday, I had half the chapter half-written but did not like the way it was coming so I restarted it. I also was lazy and took some time off to rewrite some chapters of my main series including writing the final chapter that will be uploaded next Friday, ending Part 1 in the process.**

**From now on, this story will have a chapter every Tuesday will potential to have another on Fridays as well but it's not mandatory like it has been until now. This should alleviate some pressure off my shoulders.**

**Without any further ado, thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	11. Boring Waiting

++x++

**Arya Stark II**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

"Lady Cassana's embroidery was exquisite," Elianna said while they ate the first course of their dinner, a vegetable soup. Father wasn't there yet…ever since they arrived at King's Landing that father arrived late and so very tired… "The technique was more refine than mine."

"Oh…so I'm teaching you badly then?" Ros inquired with a frown as she helped Lyra eat her soup.

"No, no I did not mean it like that Ros, you teach us very well. It's just that Lady Cassana is better than me and Jeyne at embroidery." Elianna insisted.

"I'm watching you pup…" Ros proclaimed with a rather bitter look.

"Ros…"

"Lady Cassana seemed more interested in speaking of horses, swords and even war hammers with Arya than doing embroidery though." Mother spoke with a smile as a gesture to Elianna that Ros was playing with Elianna, the laugh from the young woman proved mother's theory. "A pass time that our dear Arya enjoyed, did you not love?"

It was true…she did enjoy the talk with Lady Cassana, the Baratheon knew what she was talking about, she had vast knowledge in horses and was trained with sword and hammer while Arya was just trained with the bow and a little with sword…Arya liked Myrcella too but the blonde Baratheon was closer to Elianna and Jeyne in behavior, unlike Lady Cassana, who surprisingly enough, was close to both Arya and Elianna… "Yes I did enjoy the talk." she admitted.

"All the more reasons for our Arya to give more effort in her stitches…" Ros said with an observing look which showed a tongue when Arya's glance befell on her and then a smirk.

"I don't like embroidery." Arya said bitterly, angered that they kept insisting on making her do the stupid stitches.

"I have to say that your stitches are getting better." Ros proclaimed. "They are very far in quality to your sister or Jeyne's but you have improved a lot this last year. I'm proud of you Arya."

"I have seen them myself and I must agree with Ros." Mother said. "I know you hate it but you must know some lady-like things too, my dear."

Upon hearing this, Arya's heart warmed a slight bit as she wasn't expecting to be complimented on her embroidery skills…she still hated it still but she liked to be complimented. "I guess I can give some more practice…" she whispered.

"As you should." Mother agreed.

"My Lord." Arya heard Jory say and all heads turned to the entrance of the Small Hall as they called it to set it apart from the Great Hall where King Robert could feast a thousand people. The guards began standing up as they saw their lord.

"Hello everyone," Father said with a weak smile…as she expected he was grimmer than what he was at Winterfell…those damned Small Council meetings…It was Elianna who suggested them as the reason for father's erratic behavior a day ago when mother was getting dressed still. "You may seat and keep enjoying your meals."

"My Lord, there is some talk in the yard about a…tourney happening soon…" Jory said as he resumed his seat. "They say that knights will come from all over the realm to joust and feast in honor of your appointment as Hand of the King."

Arya could see that her father was not very happy about the subject… "Do they also talk about this being the last thing in the world that I would have wished? Especially when I only intend to serve for a year?"

"Love, leave poor Jory alone, he doesn't have a fault about it." Mother said. "Come here and have a seat with us."

Father sighed. "Apologies Jory, it was ill done on my part."

"There is no problem My Lord…we were just curious about it."

"As you should and yes it will happen…in a moon from now…" Father said as he took a seat next to mother…he was so tired…he was rubbing his face before picking the cutlery.

"A tourney…" Elianna proclaimed beaming. "May we attend, father?"

"Tourneys don't do well with this family…" Father ranted.

"We met in a tourney…" Mother whispered. "Or did you forget it somehow?"

"And you know what else happened in that very same tourney…" Father countered.

"I do, but it won't harm our girls to attend." Mother insisted. "They are still young and we will keep a close eye on them."

"Oh, please, father, let us go," Elianna begged. "We never saw a tourney…we may not have an opportunity after this…"

Father looked pained with all... "Fine…I shall arrange a place for all of you."

"Everything will be alright, love." Mother assured. "Now eat something as we have to do what we agreed on…"

"Aye." Mother's soothing words seemed to have a positive effect on father for his face showed a slight hint of happiness. What were they planning though? "I must say that Elianna's betrothal has been officially declined."

"Really?" Asked her sister. "I don't have to marry the Prince?"

"No, and I pity the woman who has," Father said. "Robert was obnoxious today once I told him about our decision. Now he is offering Myrcella for Jon or Tommen for Arya…"

"I don't want to marry Tommen!" Arya hissed as soon as the notion was spoken.

Everyone laughed except Bran. "Why not? Tommen is interesting and is a cultivated mind at the age of seven." Her brother said.

"I don't like to read books like the two of you." Arya dismissed. "And he is plump."

"Arya!" Ros scolded upon hearing the insult. "Watch your manners!"

"Sorry…"

"Nothing has been arranged but he is keen on making this Stark-Baratheon marriage happen somehow..." Father explained as he sipped the soup. "Yet another troublesome affair..."

"Forget about it now." Mother patted father's back. "You have to rest during your free time, not being consumed with other matters. Your head may explode otherwise."

Father nodded and continued eating just like the rest of them and when they were done, both he and mother called them all to the Hand's chamber. She, her sister and Jeyne had gone there once…to see how it was…without anyone's consent…and were berated by Ros of course…

"Now we called you here because of what happened by the Trident." Mother began. "I'm sure I don't need to explain what happen since I believe it is still fresh in your minds."

"We are hard cruel times my children." Father continued. "Your mother told you about the capital often so I don't need to say it again but…we didn't even arrive yet and there was the Prince threatening Arya's life with a sword…Robert punished Joffrey but I believe it wasn't enough, consider what could have happened if Nymeria did not intervene." Nymeria…her friend…she missed her…and she hoped Jon and Arthur would take care of her…

"No, it wasn't." Mother quickly said.

"So upon much reflection, we came into the conclusion that you all don't know how to defend yourselves in case there are no guards around. So your mother intends for Elianna and Jeyne to learn it."

"Defend ourselves, My Lord?" Jeyne asked confused. "How? With swords?"

"I do not mean to frighten any of you, but neither will I lie to you. We have come to a dark and dangerous place, this is not Winterfell." Father explained. "We have enemies who mean us ill and you both need to know basic defenses with this much I agree with my wife. Elianna meant well but she blocked upon seeing Arya being threatened by the Prince which cannot happen again."

"But if I knew how to defend myself…would I need to kill the Prince somehow?" Elianna inquired. "If I did so, it would bring more trouble for our family…but I would have saved Arya…"

"We hope such a situation never arises again for it's very complicated to find a proper way to deal with it." Mother began with a serious expression. "But if King Robert scolding wasn't enough to persuade the boy to calm down, then I'm afraid it's them or us."

Father made a gesture for Ros to come closer with a box in her hands. With curiosity, they all peeked inside said box and there, they found to daggers of equal size and color. "Daggers?" Asked her sister abashed.

"Yes." Mother nodded. "Ros and I always carry at least one with us and it's about time you two carry one yourselves. This is by no means us telling you to be violent or go on a killing spree but if words fail and you have no other way of escaping…then you know what to do…"

Elianna and Jeyne picked the daggers and inspected them as they shone in the light. Arya was kind of jealous…they were beautiful daggers and she sort of wished to have one for herself but she had Needle already. "Understood." Elianna proclaimed. "I shall learn how to properly yield it. I will not be helpless again."

"Me too." Jeyne nodded.

"Good." Father smiled a shy smile. "Now we all know that little Lyra is too young to yield one herself and Bran is a boy so he is destined to yield a sword which he will once he begins his training with Ser Aron Santagar but I'm sure you are wondering why there wasn't one for you Arya."

She actually was…were her parents reading her mind somehow? "I am…" Her sister and friend looked towards her and so did her brother.

"Ros darling, why don't you explain to Arya what will happen with her." Mother gestured as she placed a hand on Ros' shoulder who smiled a bright smile upon hearing the command.

"Certainly Milady and Milord." The red-haired woman approached Arya. "Tomorrow you will start practicing sword fighting like a proper fighter."

Practicing with swords? Her heart began beating way too fast. "Really?" she managed to ask.

"Would I lie to you, Arya?" Ros asked with a frown.

"No…but…"

"Jon did give a sword did he not?" Father asked with a smile. "You are swordswoman now and as such you must practice with it. Just…not with your poor brother…"

"I…" she blushed upon hearing this…it was ill done on her part to abuse Bran's goodwill and she had apologized to him as well but it still made her feel stupid.

Mother came to her and brought her closer to a hug. "Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, you remain at the Small Hall and patiently wait there."

"I will, I will, thank you." Arya said with tears of joy in her eyes.

"No tears little pup." Ros said. "Just smiles."

"But these are tears of joy." she said.

"All the same."

"Okay, everyone enough of this, time to go to bed." Mother commanded. "Go on, tomorrow is a new day and the Dawn Arises."

Arya almost did not sleep that night…first, there was the usual…noise…and second, she was excited to begin her training as well. But who would be her instructor? Father did not speak of Ser Aron Santagar and Bran would be under the Dornishmen's tutelage because father had no time for it…

In the morning she shared her breakfast with her family and then she waited…and waited…

"I see you are already here." An unfamiliar voice proclaimed. It came from a rather thin man yielding a bald head and a great beak of a nose. In his hands were a pair of slender wooden swords. "Tomorrow you will be here at the same time." The man had an accent…from the Free Cities…

"Are you the one is too teach me sword fighting?" she asked.

"I am your dancing master." he tossed her one of the wooden blades which she tried to grab but failed. "Tomorrow you will catch it. Now pick it up."

"Yes." she replied as she picked it up with both hands as she usually did.

The bald man gritted his teeth together. "That is not the way, boy, this is not a greatsword for you to use two hands on. You will take the blade in one hand."

"It's too heavy for just one hand!" Arya barked back.

"It is heavy to make you strong and improve your balance." The man retorted. "One hand now is all that is needing."

Arya was left-handed so she held the sword with just that hand. She could use both but preferred the left one, the man seemed to approve. "Like this?" she inquired.

"Yes, the left is good. All is reversed and it will make your enemies more awkward," he explained. "But your standing is wrong. Turn your body sideways," he commanded and she did so. "Yes like that. You are skinny as the shaft of a spear, do you know?"

"Yes." Everyone told her as much so it wasn't anything new. "I know it well…"

"That is good too, the target is smaller and harder to hit," he said. "Now the grip, let me see it…" he moved closer and peered at her hand, rearranging her fingers. "Just so, yes…do not squeeze it so tight, the grip must be deft, delicate."

"But it may fall this way…" she said. "It's too heavy…"

"The steel must be part of your arm." The bald man explained. "Can you drop part of your arm? No."

"But…"

"Nine years Syrio Forel was First Sword to the Sealord of Braavos. He knows these things, listen to him, boy."

It was the third time he called her a boy and she had enough of it. "I'm a girl, Ser. Not a boy."

"Boy or girl matters not." Syrio Forel said. "You are a sword and that is all there is. Remember child, this is not the iron dance of Westeros we are learning, the knight's dance, hacking and hammering, no, this is the bravo's dance, the water dance, swift and sudden."

"Water dancing?"

"All men are made of water, do you know this?" he asked. "When you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die." Then he took a step backward and raised his own wooden blade. "Now try to strike me and show me what you have in you, child."

And Arya tried to strike him. She tried for four hours, until every muscle in her body was sore and aching, while Syrio Forel clicked his teeth together and told her what to do.

The training was over then when the rest of her family came for lunch. Mother, slightly worried about Arya's sorrowful look, told her to take a bath before joining them for the meal. Arya enjoyed the first day of her training and would give her best in the following ones. No Joffrey would try to harm again.

**Cassana Baratheon VII**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

"So you aren't joining the Starks today?" Jaehon inquired as they exited the Maidenvault. As always he carried his two swords…and she was thinking on the possibility of asking why he does so…what that sword at his back was…but she knew he probably would not say anything…as always…

"I'm afraid not. A servant came by when you were still asleep explaining that a man wished to meet me with urgency," she explained. "I'm quite worried…"

"The servants did not inform you about who it was?" Her friend asked.

"No name was given," she said. "Just that the man was waiting at the Throne room where my uncle Robert is hearing his subjects' pleas."

"That is odd…" Jaehon admitted.

"It is." she agreed. "By the way…I caught you staring at Ros' buxom yesterday…"

"I wasn't staring!" he barked bitterly. "Gods, why do you think I'm always staring at women's breasts?"

"Because you were. I saw it with my very own eyes." she insisted while eyeing him.

"I was not…"

"Fine…" _Big liar…I saw you… _"Now that I think of it, we haven't talked about King's Landing have we?"

"What about it?"

"What do you think of everyone here?" she asked.

"Well…your uncles love you, your aunt and eldest cousin hate you, your other cousins and the Starks like you…that creepy Master of Coin is creepy just as the eunuch however I would say that Master of Coin is eyeing you on a weirder way which I'm not sure about…the rest of the people are just scenery for now if I'm too be honest."

"When was the Master of Coin looking at me in a creepy way?" she asked confused and slightly afraid. "I never saw him doing such thing…he seemed like a fine gentleman…"

"Perhaps you were watching were my gaze fell onto…" Gods be damned… "But I assure you he was…wasn't he your mother's friend?"

"And yes, Lord Baelish was a ward to my grandfather at Riverrun." she sighed. "You have a sharp tongue when you wish."

"You are the one is accusing me of things…"

"True things. You are a man and men are pigs at times." Cassana ranted. "It would be better if you admit your sins…" she made a gesture with her hands to emphasize sin as she really did not think of it as a sin. Not after that day, where she saw him bare-chested…if a woman felt this way for a man then a man should feel the same with a woman, especially if they had ample assets…

Jaehon remained silent…_curious… _"Whatever you say." he sighed. "Have you gotten any information about why your father returned to Dragonstone?"

"I think I know why he did so." she admitted.

"Yes? And what is your theory?"

"Lady Stark and I think Lord Arryn was poisoned and my father thought he was next in line."

"Poisoned? By whom?"

"That is a good question my friend…if you have any suggestions do tell me about it." Cass said.

"Might have some theories in mind but no concrete evidence to risk saying them," Jaehon said. "I just find it weird why the man was poisoned…"

"Well, you know where to find me if you find something." And now they arrived by Throne Room where the servant told her to go. There were a few people there begging for her uncle's judgment, old and young, men and women alike.

"Ah, Cass!" Uncle Robert shouted happily from up the throne. "Do you want to take my place for a while and hear these complains yourself?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Grace," she replied with a smile. "I'm content down here."

"There is definitely something of Stannis in you girl…" he said. "By the way, here is one of his men which he sent to speak with you."

"Milady Cassana." The man bowed before her, while she would recognize his face anywhere.

"Ser Davos, I did not expect to see you here…" she confessed although she sort of knew why he was there…

"I need a word with you Milady…" he begged. "Can it be done in private?"

"Certainly, let us leave my uncle to his duty."

The three of them went outside, to what she identified as Jaehon's favorite wall to rest his back on when he waits for her while she takes breakfast with her uncles. That was another thing Jaehon liked to do…rest his back at walls…

"Milady your parents are worried about you…" Ser Davos explained. "Since your disappearance…Dragonstone has gone…a little mad I must confess…"

"There is nothing to worry about, I'm fine." she assured the man.

"I can see that Milady and your father knew you would be coming here…and your mother has…is rather worried…" The man said.

"So my mother has returned from the Eyrie? How was my aunt Lysa? And my cousin Robert?"

"Milady please do not change the talk. Your mother fainted once she heard you came here alone…"

"I'm not alone." she corrected. "I'm with Jaehon, my uncles and some friends I made here. Good friends I must say." Cassana assured. "There is nothing for her to worry. And as for my father do tell him this all his fault for not informing me of things. I'm his daughter and I have every right to know what troubles him."

"I'm sure if Milord Stannis did not tell you anything was because he thought it was better that way." Ser Davos said. "Besides your lady mother is convinced that the Lannisters are behind Lord Arryn's death…she said they poisoned him and is afraid they may target you as well."

"Where did my mother get that conclusion Ser Davos?" she questioned confused.

"By her sister's own words as she says. She wanted to come here herself but your father forbade her, sending me instead, instructing me to bring you back at once and end this folly."

_My aunt? Could it be that she knew things others didn't? Interesting…_ "I must refuse my good Ser. Do tell my parents that I plan to stay enough for the tourney of the Hand. I'm rather curious to see the jousts and melee."

"Milady I reckon you should reconsider your choice…your parents are rather…angry with you. Especially your father…"

"Let him be, I'm angry with him as well."

"Milady…"

"Go on Ser Davos," Cassana commanded. "And it was good to meet you, give my greetings to Shireen and your lady wife."

The man bowed and left with a serious and shaken face, clearly not happy with her resolve. But she cared not.

"You are lucky you are not a child or your father would slap you well…" Jaehon murmured.

"Yes, but he still thinks of me like one so I may get a good beating still." she sort of japed. "I think I may have some interesting news for Lady Stark so I'm going to meet her now. Come along Jaehon and don't…"

"I'm not staring at their breasts!" _Yes, yes…I know…_

**Arianne Martell II**

King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

"Ah King's Landing!" Uncle Oberyn proclaimed with a big smirk as they exited the ship. "I have missed this smell of shit! What about you all?"

Their group was rather small compared to previous excursions that Arianne was part of, there was her uncle Oberyn, his paramour Ellaria, his former squire and Arianne's former lover Ser Daemon Sand, Arianne herself, her cousins Nymeria and Tyene, the ladies Jasline Vaith, Emyly Yronwood, and Nysah Gargalen and the finally the latter two's husbands Lord Bennard Wyl and Lord Daemon Vaith respectively. A weird entourage if she was too say so…

"It certainly brings some memories." Lady Emyly said and the older Dornishwomen laughed with it.

"Yes, the smell of vipers…" Lady Jasline added.

"Oh you know I'm the only viper, my friends." Uncle said while Arianne and her cousins walked a little behind them, having some privacy to speak.

"How can people live here, it's disgusting." Nym ranted with a disdainful look. "Gods what a bloody smell…"

"I might have done better and stay at Sunspear like Obara." Tyene said.

"Obara was ill, dear cousin. Otherwise she would have come with us." Arianne said. "But by the Seven does it stink…" _I never thought it smelled so badly…_

"Daemon go and rent us two wheelhouses and four horses." Uncle Oberyn said in between laughs with the ladies.

"Yes My Prince." Daemon nodded as he went on ahead. The two husbands seemed a bit lost too…

"Father, why didn't we come on our own horses?" Nym decided to ask. "It would be much faster and cheaper…"

"No it would not." he dismissed. "It would take two to three months and we are not making anyone wait for us to justify such action. We have coins to spend so let us do so."

"Fine…" Her cousin sighed.

"You are just bitter that you could not bring your Goldylock with you…" Tyene murmured.

"I am! You know I love that horse."

"Enough bickering girls." Ellaria, her uncle's paramour said. "It will do us good to travel by wheelhouse at times, especially in this city."

"I must agree," Arianne admitted. "I prefer wheelhouse over riding my own horse. It soars my buttocks less…"

"Me too." Tyene said.

"Fine, as you all say…I see I'm alone in this…"

They walked to a nearby inn and spent some time there waiting for Daemon's return. Arianne eyed the room for handsome men but found none worthy…not that an inn on a faraway city was a good place to have sex…

She was quite excited to meet the Lady Ashara…a woman whose beauty her uncle boasted so many times and that according to him married a plain-looking Northmen that did not deserve her…_a Dornishwoman and a Northmen…what an odd and interesting pair…_she mused.

"I may take it upon me to visit the Great Sept of Baelor sometime." Tyene proclaimed. "I always wanted to visit it and now I have a good opportunity to do so."

"We already visited the Starry Sept in Oldtown why bother with this one?" Nym ranted.

"It's just a landmark one has to visit," Tyene replied. "Besides you know I'm pious."

"Yes…definitely the pious one…" Nym laughed rather loudly. "I never saw men and women alike sharing your bed or anything…"

"No more than they joined yours, my dear sister." Tyene countered. "But just because I share my bed with people does not mean I don't pray."

"I'm more eager to visit the Red Keep," Arianne confessed. "All the nobility is there…all the handsome men…and women…"

"And the Lannisters as well…" Both Tyene and Nym said in unison.

"Yes…the Lannisters…" she admitted. "They are waiting patiently for their payment."

"Oh yes, they are…" Nym smirked.

"May the Seven save their souls for I will not."

Daemon finally returned and they departed to the Red Keep at once. The older ladies went on the same wheelhouse while Arianne and her cousins went on another talking about how they could exact their revenge or imagining their soon to be paramours...

They were called to a halt just before the gates of the castle. And they had to wait…wait and wait…she sighed of boredom. Luckily they could leave the wheelhouses and stretch their legs. _I had I know this would be so boring I might have stayed at Sunspear…now I look like Tyene…_

And then a woman came to meet them…and by the Seven what a bloody woman she was…dressed in a lilac gown, there was a direwolf neckless in her neck…her eyes were violet and her hair was lustrous and black…her curves were refine and buxom was ample, though Arianne's was slightly bigger but by the Seven was the Lady Ashara Dayne a sight to be seen…well…the Daynes were certainly out of this world with their beauty…

"Ah, Ashara my friend, so good to see you!" Uncle Oberyn spoke as pretty much she and her cousins were open-mouthed still while the older ladies were smiling. "It's good to see you not made of ice."

Lady Ashara's face was…harsh? As if she was not too happy to see them somehow… "Oberyn? By the Gods what is the meaning of this?"

"We came for a little visit my friend…" Uncle said with a big smirk. "Didn't you wish to see your friends?"

"Ah, Seven Hells you never learn!" The woman hissed. "Gods how am I going to explain this…"

"Well…you know me better than I do…" Her uncle laughed despite it all… "I know you find a way…"

* * *

**Here is another chapter, once again thank you for having spare some of your time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	12. Troublesome Affairs

++x++

**Jaehon Velaryon I**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

Just as Jaehon thought things couldn't get any worse…they got…and he should have been expecting it…nothing ever gets better…

Jaehon always tried his best to be a proper man as much as he could but he was a man and men had flaws and he had a big one…women…

Now he preferred nice women, women who were kind to him and people like Laena was but if…but if women were dressed in revealing gowns and were pretty to look at…then he couldn't help but stare at them…he just couldn't…

He always wondered about how a man could resist the urge to peek. He tried so many times and failed so miserable…normally no one saw him do the deed for he was fast in his stares but ever since Cassana caught him doing it more than once did it get more awkward…especially with her reminding him of it constantly…He, of course, denied it always for he was ashamed of his behavior, it was not proper neither for these women nor for Laena's memory…

Ever since Laena was killed nothing was the same for him…Her memory was in his heart…for no one else would care for a simple dragonseed of Driftmark, especially when her entire family was butchered by those fuckers…pillaging, raping and killing everything in their path…Laena and his people died and nothing could be done for them which angered him beyond measure…

They may reign supreme now, terrorizing the seas but they will suffer from the atrocities they commit once everything is ready and he comes back. I will make sure of it.

Ignoring those thoughts of revenge and focusing on what was troubling him now…it happen when Cassana decided to come and meet Lady Stark. The Starks enjoyed the gardens of the Red Keep and as such, they were usually found there. But today…there were plenty of Dornishwomen beside the Starks…

Now besides Cassana, Lady Stark, Ros, and the eldest Stark girl, Elianna, there were a bunch of beautiful Dornishwomen who were simply way too provocative in their dresses…much more than the Starks and it was leaving him uncomfortable…_Gods have no mercy for me…_

"I wasn't expecting so many people here…" Cassana admitted, seemingly taken aback with so many people around the Starks. "Perhaps we came at a bad time…" she told him. _You have no idea…_

Cassana was three years younger than him but almost as tall as he was and he wasn't that small at all. It was her Baratheon blood if he was to guess, her uncles and father were towers so it was expected for her to grow tall as well. She was also blooming into quite a lady, in her own way…sometimes he wondered what she might feel for him, especially that weird episode in the ship that brought them to King's Landing but he guessed he was but a friend of hers and nothing more…Which was as good as he could get…he had no wish to be gelded thrice…or perhaps he should…so that he could stop having this behavior…

At times he wondered if falling in love again be a proper solution to his problem? Or get married…having just a woman to care about and give his everything to her? It had been his wish before it all happen and to some extent, it still was but…the world is full of broken hearts, half of them being his...He learned from a very young age that life is a bitch. What she gives with one hand, she takes with the other…

Not that anyone would fall in love with him or wish to marry him, he was as boring as a Septon, plain-looking and without a thing to give thanks to his cursed grandfather and Valyrian purity bullshit. Jaehon Velaryon was nothing but a no one, an unimportant character in a story about other people…they will just have to suffer from my existence I'm afraid…

"Are you listening to me Jaehon?" Cassana asked, waking him up from his thoughts of misery.

"I'm sorry…I wasn't paying attention…" he confessed.

"I have noticed…" His friend said with a raised eyebrow. "Staring at you know what…"

_Here we go again…_ "I wasn't staring." And this time he was speaking truthfully.

"Sure…"

"Didn't you come here to speak with Lady Stark?" he asked, hoping to change the subject and free his soul from accusations.

"Lady Stark seems to be speaking with a Dornishman." Cass explained and Jaehon glanced the beautiful woman and confirmed Cass's words. "We may need to come later…"

"Cass!" It was Elianna Stark who spoke, she was a copy of her mother in looks and like Cassana she was blooming to become a beautiful lady herself. "You came! We were thinking you would not…Please have a seat with us here. We have a few new companions to introduce to you." Cassana smiled and made a gesture for him to follow her. _Gods no…not to them…_ "You may seat with us if you wish Ser Jaehon," Elianna spoke to him with a bright smile. "There are plenty of chairs here."

"I'm fine My Lady there is no need," he said with a shy smile but then he saw all the women staring at him with weird faces and... What harm had he caused to suffer such punishment? _Gods be damned._ "With some better thought…I may just take a seat…" This way he would look weird but at least he would be able to stare at the floor and avoid peeking…_Gods why did that Dornishwoman had to have such large breasts…_

"This is Lady Cassana Baratheon, daughter of Lord Stannis Baratheon and niece to our King Robert," Elianna spoke as she took a seat to where she had been. "Cassana, these are Princess Arianne Martell and her cousins Nymeria and Tyene Sand."

"A pleasure My Ladies." Cassana nodded with a bright and courteous smile.

"The pleasure is ours, My Lady." The Princess who happened to be the big-breasted one spoke with a smile. "It's nice to get acquainted with you."

"And this is Ser Jaehon Velaryon." Elianna continued. "Lady Cassana's sworn shield and companion."

"My Ladies…" he said as he began getting nervous with all the looks he was receiving. Jaehon got nervous when he had too many people around him, especially women…

"A Velaryon?" Tyene Sand who had blonde hair and blue eyes joined in with a smile on her pretty face. Her buxom wasn't the largest but luckily for him, it was properly concealed with a gown with long sleeves. "You don't look Valyrian…"

"I got my mother's coloring," he replied. "But I'm indeed Valyrian."

"I always wanted to meet a Valyrian myself…" The Princess said leaning closer to him…_Gods…I should have remained sleeping this morning…don't look…don't look…I failed… _"Even if not…with the classic attributes…"

"So what is the talk here?" Cassana asked with a rather serious expression.

"Oh, we were just talking about the tourney that is coming in honor of my father," Elianna said. "This has gotten me curious…are you partaking in it Ser Jaehon?"

"I do not fight without a purpose." Jaehon said, remembering his master's words. _A warrior must not fight for unnecessary causes but he must live by the honorable way that is to protect the weak and those who need to be protected. That is the only just cause. _Besides…it would be a crowded area with far too many eyes staring at him…and he hated those...

"Why not good Ser?" Princess Arianne asked with a curious expression. "Isn't the prize worth fighting for?"

"I care not for it." Jaehon replied without hesitation.

"What about crowning someone a Queen of Love and Beauty? The love of your life…" Said the blonde Sand woman.

"That would be so romantic…" Princess Arianne said. "Would you all agree?"

"Yes." Elianna Stark admitted and so did Jeyne Poole and Princess Myrcella.

"I have no love of my life." he said. _Not anymore at least…_

"Perhaps you haven't looked properly…" Lady Tyene suggested, but she was wrong.

"Perhaps I have not." Jaehon went on with it.

"It is a shame really, I would love to have seen you joust…" Elianna said.

"I fear My Lady would be disappointed by the lack of skills with a lance." Jaehon said with a shy smile.

"You would not disappoint me Ser…I'm quite sure of it…" Lady Elianna said.

"So what gave us the honor of such a visit from My Princess and her cousins?" Cassana asked in a weird tone and Jaehon was trying to figure out what was wrong with these women today… "We were certainly not expecting to so many Dornish people here."

"We came to visit Lady Stark, My Lady." Princess Arianne replied. "My uncle was very keen on doing so and we three were quite curious to see the city. The older ladies over there were Lady Stark's companions when she was a lady-in-waiting to my aunt Elia."

"And are you enjoying?" Asked Princess Myrcella with courtesy.

"Very much so My Princess." The Dornish Princess said. "There are so many wonderful things to see and do…"

"Like visiting the Great Sept of Baelor…" Tyene Sand murmured.

"I think it can be arranged…" Princess Arianne said. "Would you care to join us perhaps?"

"We Starks follow the Old Gods, I'm afraid…and so does Jeyne and Ros." Elianna explained. "Our mother thought us some prays of the Seven especially to the Mother but…it does seem like an interesting place to visit nevertheless."

"The Old Gods…I know so little of them…" Princess Arianne admitted. "We have no Godswood at Sunspear though I have seen a few besides this one before."

"The one at Storm's End is bigger than this one and much more ancient," Cassana said. "I liked the place and it does pity me that there is no Godswood at Dragonstone."

"Hello everyone!" Ros said with a smile as she came to join them. "Lyra is now comfortably sleeping in her bed and I decided to return to resume our conversation."

"Please do take a seat, Ros." Elianna gestured to an empty chair.

"Gladly."

"We were talking about a possible visit to the Great Sept of Baelor with Princess Arianne and her cousins." Elianna briefed her companion. "What do you think?"

"It does sound like an interesting place to visit…"

"I told very much the same." Elianna said.

"We can go there tomorrow or the day after." Princess Arianne suggested. "Unless you have other plans."

"I will speak with Milady first and see what she says."

"Jaehon," Cassana called. "Lady Stark seems free now, I'm going to talk to her."

"Okay…" Jaehon said still troubled with all the people around him…he wished this was to end soon…maybe I should join the Citadel or the Faith after I do what I must do…no…I wouldn't make it…it would even look more awkward…a Septon staring at women's breasts…well…there Seven Hells ready for him anyway…

**Ashara Dayne VII**

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 298 AC

A little earlier…

"I don't know why you are so annoyed to see some old friends Ashara," Oberyn said while the rest of the Dornish got acquainted with Ashara's children, Ros, Myrcella, and Tommen. "You invited us."

"I invited Jasline, Nysah and Emyly, just three people, not a dozen of them." Ashara retorted.

"It will be more fun with all of us, I'm fun, my paramour is fun, my niece and daughters are fun, Daeron is fun…not too sure about Nysah and Emyly's husbands…they can't be that bad…"

"The problem is not you all not being fun for I know everyone is nice." Ashara began explaining. "The problem is that the King and certainly the Queen will not find it too amusing on a sudden increase of Dornish courtiers." Cersei was already providing Ashara with a dozen of murderous looks as her youngest children preferred the Starks' company over Cersei's tight grip on them and now twelve more Dornish would make her madder and to an extent. Ashara had to agree with the woman as she herself would feel threatened with two dozens Lannisters at Winterfell.

"But isn't your husband the Hand? That ought to mean something around here." Oberyn inquired. "Or not…"

"My husband being the Hand doesn't change the fact that you and I are Dornish," Ashara said. "They know Dorne is not in the best of terms with Lannisters nor Baratheons."

Oberyn's face got more serious. "My problem and the problem of Dorne is with Tywin Lannister and his lapdogs Clegane and Lorch. I don't give two shits about the Queen or the young Baratheons. The King is a craven who sat in his throne after innocents were killed. But he will have what's coming for him."

That worried her for sure. "Oberyn…what are going to do?"

"I'm not going to kill the King or his children if that is what you are thinking." Oberyn said.

"It still does not tell me what you intend to do so it means it must be something bad…Oberyn what are you trying to do?" she insisted, worried about whatever plan he conceived.

"Nothing."

"Oberyn…"

"Have you met Ellaria before?" he asked as if to change subjects.

"I have, now tell me what are you planning?"

"And what do you think of my niece and daughters?"

"They are comely looking ladies but don't you dare change the subject with me Oberyn!" she hissed tired of it all. "Tell me!"

"I don't know what has made you so worried, I have nothing planned, at least that is viable and logical, my friend," Oberyn said. "But I know this, what goes around, comes around."

"Is that why you came? Hoping that I would be the key to your revenge?"

"I came to remind everyone that Elia and her children still did not have the justice they deserved. It has been fifteen years since they died and Lord Arryn brought their bones to us, promising justice and I have yet to see anything!"

"And you thought my husband will be able to do anything after all this time?" Ashara asked.

"Maybe…" he smirked. "Or maybe I just wanted to see the most beautiful woman of the Seven Kingdoms…"

"Ellaria will certainly appreciate such thing coming from you…" Ashara said. "And stop changing the subject of the conversation."

"Between you and me…Ellaria would like to bed you…and judging by the looks of my daughters and niece, she isn't the only one…"

"Tell them I have a husband now." Ashara plainly stated. "Now about our conversation…"

"Yes…your letters told me as much…" Oberyn interrupted. "Is he good in bed? I mean he seems fertile enough, how many children do you two have? Four? Five."

"Six children and he is good in bed, he has a marvelous tongue and…" The realization of what she said hit her and she blushed like a maiden. "Oh Gods…I can't believe I just said this…"

Oberyn was laughing nonstop. "Maybe we can all share a bed together, you two, me and Ellaria and…"

"No."

"But."

"No."

"Ash…"

"My husband is a virtuous man and I'm a virtuous woman ever since I met him. We don't need more than just us in our bed." Ashara let her point be known.

"What a pity…well…I'm sure you and your husband will find a way to get us and the King happy with each other…in the meantime I'm going to seat by my Ellaria's side."

"Wait a minute you can't just…" It was too late…Oberyn was gone…_Gods be damned, he is hiding something from me…_she sighed defeated…_How am I supposed to explain all these nice people to the King and Queen…Gods…_

Ashara stood there, thinking on what she could do to fix this…she liked to have some Dornish people with her but it was too complicated now that she was the Hand's wife and the Queen seem to have so much power.

"Lady Stark, may I have a word with you?" Cassana asked of her.

"Ah Cassana you did came to see us!" she said a little bit happier. "Do take a seat and tell me what troubles you.

The Baratheon girl took a seat where Oberyn had been. "I received a visitor, a man of my father's trust he sent to bring me back…"

"Your father is angry at you is he not?"

"I'm angry with him as well!" The girl said with the Baratheon fury and stubbornness. "He tells me nothing so I had to find the answers myself."

"It doesn't hide the fact that you came here and refused to go if I'm correct…I understand your point but I also understand your father's."

The girl looked a bit conflicted as expected, she had a sharp mind but she was still a child-woman somehow. "The man told me that my mother and aunt Lysa think it were the Lannisters who poisoned Lord Arryn."

The Lannisters? Why would they do it? She had thought about them but she didn't believe it possible…why now? Ser Jaime wouldn't poison anyone, he would challenge them to a fight, Tyrion Lannister did not seem the type to poison a man…Tywin Lannister…he has been at Casterly Rock for fifteen years and he would likely gain nothing from it…though she wasn't sure…was it Cersei Lannister perhaps? But why? Was he putting his nose in a place where he should not? Was Stannis involved in it somehow? Gods more trouble for my poor mind…

"I must thank you for this information, but I'm feeling rather…tired already…I may just go and enjoy a talk with my friends over there and forget about all this for today."

"I understand, that can help you feel more at ease My Lady."

"You should go back to Ros and the others' side, they are bound to be more into your line of thought…and I should call Arya here as well to at least introduce herself…"

"A quick recovery My Lady."

"Thank you." Ashara said as she moved to her friends, to have a simple talk like the good old days. Her friends smiled once she approached just as fifteen years ago and she smiled as well.

**Jon Stark III**

Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC

"Seven Hells…" Arthur ranted. "What are we to do with all of them?"

According to the men at arms that his father sent back home, his parents were forced to send the rest of the direwolves back home as Nymeria, Arya's pup bit Prince Joffrey's hand as the little cunt had attack Jon and Arthur's little sister with a steel sword. "I don't know…we will just have to manage it somehow…" Though Jon was failing to find a proper solution…Ghost and Breeze already gave enough trouble on their own and four extra direwolves that were as big as dogs and with their owners miles away wouldn't make things easier…

"This isn't ending well…for us at least…" Arthur said sighing. "Star and Rune seem rather calm but Blacky and Nymeria…"

Jon hated to admit it but… "Where is Theon? We will need his help."

"Where do you think he is, Jon?" Arthur spoke as if it was the most regular of things and…it actually was…

"At the brothel again?" Jon asked but he knew he had got it right. "Gods he has been there all the time now…"

"Ros and our parents are not here anymore to stop him or entertain him so you know it was bound to happen sooner rather than later." Arthur explained.

_Ros…_Ros was almost like a sister to both he and Arthur, considering that she had been raised by mother since Jon was two and Arthur was but a newborn baby. And despite this, both Jon and Arthur had a crush on her, not necessarily love but…an attraction of sorts…she was beautiful…and kind…It was shame she allowed herself to lay with Theon of all people…she deserved better than Theon because he was a womanizer and cared not for women's feelings.

"I will send Hallis to fetch him then." Jon proclaimed as he ignored his thoughts. "We will need all the help we can get to keep these pups at bay. Perhaps Maester Yolan can help us as well, Ghost and Breeze like him well enough perhaps the rest of them will like him as well."

"I will go fetch him then…" Arthur began saying and moving before he hit someone.

"Hodor!" Hodor announced with his usual bright smile.

"Ah, Hodor you made me hit you! Are you alright?" Arthur questioned and Hodor seemed to be as he began nodding. Not that Arthur would injure the friendly giant…

"This lad always gets me with a smile and I don't know why…" Maester Yolan proclaimed with a smile of his own. The man himself was always smiling and always willing to help someone in need. He could seem like a fool because of his jovial nature but he was not, he was very smart, at forty of age he had seven different chain types.

"Maester Yolan we were looking for you, we are in need of some help." Jon began.

"With all these direwolves?" Maester Yolan asked as he eyed them.

"Yes."

"Sure…that is if they don't bite my hand off…" he said laughing. "In all truthfulness now, I need my hands…"

"None will bite your hands off, I'm sure," Arthur said smirking. "They will laugh first…"

And yet another laugh from the Maester… "Perhaps…perhaps…" he said. "We came here to say that we have visitors My Lord."

"Who is it?" Jon asked.

"Tyrion Lannister and some men of the Watch," Yolan explained. "With perhaps some words from Lord Benjen's disappearance…"

It still soared to both he and his brother that uncle Benjen disappeared during a Ranging…He could be have been captured by the wildlings…or worse… "Let us not make them wait then. Hodor keep an eye on the direwolves, don't let them leave the stables."

"Hodor." Hopefully, they would not hurt Hodor…just in case he could send some guards to help him…

Once he and his brother were ready to receive the visitors, they moved to the Great Hall with Jon taking his father's seat. He felt a feeling of pride when he took a seat there but also of uneasy, that chair did not belong to him yet. Arthur took a seat on mother's chair while a few guards lined the grey stoned walls. In the center of the room the dwarf stood with his servants, and four strangers in the black of the Night's Watch.

"Lord Tyrion, forgive us for the time we took…our mother just sent us four extra direwolves that need some…tending…" Jon decided to ignore that one of them tried to bite his nephew's hand off not knowing how the man would react…he couldn't make much but all the same…

"Not many will care much for a dwarf…I do appreciate your apologies though." The dwarf dismissed. "I'm quite certain that the direwolves have grown while I was away…they were but pups when I last saw them…I doubt it will be easy to control six direwolves that are growing every day…They must twice my size by now…"

"Not yet…I'm afraid." Arthur said and Jon gave him a stare to stop, his brother simply looked around.

"I'm sure we will manage it somehow My Lord." Jon proclaimed. "We hope you enjoyed your staying at Castle Black."

"It was pleasant enough I suppose, considering I was surrounded by rapists and other petty criminals twice my size…I did piss down from the Wall…I do wonder if the wildlings will steal me away because of it…I doubt they would but my father and my sister would be quite happy." From the corner of his eye, Jon could see Arthur smirking with the Imp's words.

"We were told that our uncle disappeared…what can you tell about it?" Jon asked the five men.

"They were looking for a ranger named Waymar Royce, son of Lord Royce of Runestone who disappeared in a ranging." One sworn brother of the Night's Watch said.

"Too long." Yoren the wandering crown said. "Most likely he's dead by now."

"I'm sure he is not dead," Jon said. "He is the First Ranger…it ought to mean something."

"There's not a man on the Wall that knows the haunted forest better than Benjen Stark." The youngest of the black brothers said in a murmur. "He'll find his way back I'm sure."

"Maybe he will, maybe he won't." Said Yoren with an expressionless face. "Good men have gone into those woods before and never came out. Lord Commander Mormont sent out rangers in search of him but they found nothing."

"Might have been them wildings who captured him or…killed him…" Arthur suggested. "Gods I hope nothing of the sort happened…"

"A good deal of rangers vanished as of late." Tyrion Lannister said. "Perhaps the grumkins are hungry this year…"

"Don't play with a serious matter, Lord Tyrion." Jon warned him in a commanding voice, trying his best to sound like his father.

"You and your father have no sense of humor." The Imp shook his head.

"And you too much of it." Arthur said with a mocking tone earning yet another stare from Jon.

"Anyway…I saw an inn outside your walls…in Wintertown. I shall find a bed there with a few more coppers I may find a comely wench to warm the sheets for me." Tyrion Lannister said.

"Theon Greyjoy is taking hold of them all Imp," Arthur said. "You best spend your night here with the other men of the Night's Watch. I assure you the view of Theon Greyjoy coupling with the comely ladies is something you don't wish to see."

"I must agree with my brother," Jon said with a shy smile. "It's not a pretty sight…"

"Oh so you have some humor in you, that's quite good…" The Lannister smiled. "Well if you are all being so kind and I may die upon seeing Theon Greyjoy and the comely ladies, I think I accept the invention…"

"We shall tell the servants to prepare some rooms for you all," Jon stated. "But there will not be comely ladies in them."

"I think I can live with it…for just a day…" The Imp said. "Not more I'm afraid."

"Can't let the whores go into debt…can you?" Arthur suggested.

"Exactly."

* * *

**First I would like to apologize for no chapter on Tuesday, I was lazy once more...I also will post chapters on Friday from now because I will not have as much free time to post on Tuesday.**

**So yes this chapter may be a bit...controversial due to some themes explored, especially for a character that is an OC...I'm trying to find him a possible partner since my initial plan was scrapped for this story at least...just as I'm trying to add some depth to others and consequently future partners as well.**

**Without any further ado, thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.**


	13. Information

Just wish to inform everyone that there will be no chapter this Friday nor in the next ones for a while, the story will, therefore, be in hiatus.

They are multiple reasons for this such as me being rather stressed out as of late and also because I sort of lost inspiration in this story. I see no point in writing forced chapters in which quality decreases substantially and is not worth reading. Like in all my stories, this does not mean it was going to stay on hiatus forever, I do wish to finish it, it simply means that I will make a pause.

I hope everyone can understand.

Red Aquilla


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